Reliving the Goalie Goal: Pekka Rinne Looks Back on First-Career Tally

This particular goal didn't win a playoff series for the Predators or give them an overtime triumph. In fact, it wasn't even needed to be victorious on that January night in Chicago.
But when Pekka Rinne lofted a shot into the air within the confines of the United Center, it seemed as if time slowed for just a few seconds.
That's all it took for the Preds goaltender, the cornerstone of the franchise, the most popular player in team history, to score his first-career goal at the young age of 37.

No matter how many times one views the feat, it is always just as enjoyable as the last. If any other Predators player would have put that puck into the cage - the second of two empty-netters to seal a 5-2 result over the Blackhawks - the celebration would have consisted of a couple of glove taps and a, "Well done, boys," before the final horn.
But this deserved - and received - so much more.
Before you relive the game itself during the Preds replay on Thursday evening on Fox Sports Tennessee, relive it with the man himself.

And then, enjoy the coverage in the moments that followed to honor just the 12th goaltender in NHL history to put the puck in the opposition's net.

Rinne Scores First NHL Goal as Preds Collect First Win Under Hynes

Colin Blackwell scored his first NHL goal on Thursday night in Chicago.
And then Pekka Rinne did the same.
The Predators goaltender put an exclamation point on a 5-2 victory over the Blackhawks, as John Hynes collected his first win behind the bench for Nashville. The road victory is win No. 20 on the season for the Preds. Plus, it's a positive step as the group looks to gain points with a fresh voice.
But more on the game in a moment. There's a goalie goal to discuss.
After Nick Bonino iced the game by making it 4-2 with an empty-net tally of his own, the puck found its way back into the Nashville zone and onto the stick of RInne. A goaltender who has had aspirations of scoring a goal his entire career, Rinne wasn't about to pass up a rare chance to take his shot at an empty cage.
He lifted the puck into the atmosphere, and after it looked as though it might curve to the left, fortunes changed and it rolled its way over the line. And then the Preds made a beeline for their goaltender.

"For sure [it's a dream come true], I'm not going to lie," Rinne smiled. "I obviously understand it might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so I really enjoyed it. It was an awesome feeling seeing the puck go in… But I'm trying to see it and then [Roman Josi] and [Nick] Bonino, I think they were going nuts, and it was pretty cool. I just threw my hands up in the air and tried to try to act as cool as I can."
"That's the first time I've ever been a part of a goalie goal," Blackwell said. "I almost jumped to the top of the building when that happened. That was pretty unreal."
The entire night wasn't perfect - and it wasn't expected to be - but the Predators found a way to get the job done with Hynes implementing his systems for the first time.
"We had a very strong start, and a lot of the things that we worked on, you could see in the game," Hynes said. "As the game wore on, there were ups and downs, but I think there were more ups than downs, which was better than what we did against Boston [on Tuesday]. So, I'm really happy for the guys. It's been a tough week for them, they put in some work, they've really listened and they had to really battle for this win. It's certainly a building block to be able to go on."
Nashville's start was outstanding, and it took just 3:16 into the contest for Josi to deke through what seemed like every Blackhawks player on the ice before backhanding a shot off of Viktor Arvidsson and in. The assist extended Josi's point streak to 12-consecutive games, a mark that extends his career-high and franchise record for defensemen.

Just five minutes later, a pair of forwards, who began the season with the Milwaukee Admirals, connected, as Yakov Trenin fed Colin Blackwell in front, and the winger went top shelf on Corey Crawford for his first-career NHL goal.
"Honestly, I kind of blacked out," Blackwell laughed. "It's one of those things where just to get that monkey off your back… Playing some games last year and then being up here for a little while now, I've had some chances and finally put one in the back of the net. It definitely felt pretty good, so I just kind of let out a little bit of emotion."
Before the opening period was out, Matt Duchene picked up an extra birthday present for his 1-year-old son, Beau, when he beat Crawford in tight to give the Preds a 3-0 advantage after the first 20 minutes.
"I got the puck for him," Duchene smiled. "His first game, last year, I actually scored [and got the puck for him]... so I thought I would keep the tradition going. It was pretty nice to get one for him."
The Blackhawks got on the board in the second when Dominik Kubalik tallied his 14th of the season, and Alex DeBrincat cut the Nashville lead to one early in the third, but Hynes immediately called his timeout to settle his team down.
Chicago continued to push, but the Predators held tight before a pair of empty-netters sent the visitors home happy.
"It was huge," Rinne said of the win. "It's still a work in progress… implementing all [Hynes's] new things to systems and offensively, defensively, specialty teams, everything like that. I thought that we did a really good job tonight."
There is still plenty of work to be done as Hynes works to improve his new team day by day, but this was an impressive starting point.
"Getting through [Chicago's push] and finding a way to win the game was good for these guys because there's a lot of positives from it," Hynes said. "When you can win and teach, it's better to have to teach and lose. So, we'll take the positives of that."

From Goalie to Goalie: Mason Thrilled for Rinne on First NHL Goal

Up until about 10 p.m. CT on Jan. 9, 2020, Chris Mason had the distinction of being the lone goaltender in Nashville Predators history to score a goal.
He was on the call for the second.
Now a color commentator for the Preds on FOX Sports Tennessee broadcasts, Mason was high above the ice at the United Center in Chicago, when he watched Pekka Rinne lob a shot high into the air and into an empty net to seal a 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks on Thursday night.
The feat is incredibly rare - only 11 other goaltenders have ever done it, and not even all of them have shot the puck themselves. Just ask Mason.
His goal with the Preds back in 2006 came because a member of the Coyotes made an errant pass and put the puck right into his own net. Because Mason was the last member of the Predators to touch the puck, he received credit.
"Mine was brutal," Mason laughed. "I just got credit for it. I was the last person to touch it, so I don't even really count that I actually got one. And then I got another the same way in the American League in Milwaukee. I didn't touch it, I just was the last person that touched it, so I got lucky like that."
There was a bit of luck involved in Rinne's tally too, but it sure does take a ton of skill, poise and wherewithal to try and pull it off in a game.
It wasn't the first time the big Finn has tried to score either. Rinne shoots pucks into empty nets in practice all the time, and he's had many conversations expressing his desire and dream to do it one day.
Well, dream no more, Peks.
"He's been open about wanting to score, he's thought about it and he's very honest with those types of things and those accomplishments," Mason said of Rinne. "To see it was just, it was just a perfect shot. And when he handled the puck at first, I'm like, 'He's going for it.' The way he lined it up, he had the time and he just launched a perfect shot over everybody. When it went in, it was just crazy."
The excitement is infectious between Mason and his broadcast partner, Willy Daunic, on the FS-TN broadcast, and the jubilation is equally satisfying between Voice of the Preds Pete Weber and Hal Gill on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network.

"Willy and I were just screaming, and I just could not believe it," Mason said. "You see that the bench and Pekka's reaction, you saw him still smiling when we got on the plane after the game, and it was just so awesome to witness in person. It was one of the best moments I think I've ever witnessed as a player or a broadcaster. It was a pretty special night."
Indeed it was, and as Mason and every single individual involved with the Nashville organization would tell you, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
It may have taken him 650 career games, but better late than never, right?
"I must've watched it over 50 times at least," Mason said. "There's some great views of it, and the reactions - it's just one of those special things that just doesn't happen a lot in sports. When it does, it's just awesome… Now he's only got one thing left to do, and that's hoist Lord Stanley."