Rinne Stellar in Return as Preds Strike Lightning

If it was a Stanley Cup Final preview, the Nashville Predators are A-OK with the result.
Pekka Rinne returned from injury to make 42 saves as the Preds defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, at Amalie Arena. The result keeps Nashville perfect on the road to start the season with six consecutive victories away from Bridgestone Arena.
In fact, Nashville's 6-0-0 road record with three-plus goals scored in each of those outings is now tied for the second-longest such streak to start a season in NHL history. They also set a franchise record for the fewest games (13) required to reach 10 wins.

"It was a big game, and we responded," Rinne said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game in their building, and we just battled and battled and got it done."
It was Kyle Turris who gave the Predators the evening's first goal on a masterful deflection. Off-balance and turned around at the right side of the net, the Nashville centerman somehow had the wherewithal to locate Mattias Ekholm's point shot and direct it past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

And then, before the opening period was out, Ryan Johansen took a turn on the highlight reel.
Without question, it's the best pass you'll see all month. Maybe all season.

With seconds remaining in the first, Johansen - at least as far as the results indicate - used a second set of eyes in the back of his head. Along the half wall, Johansen flung a two-handed, spinning backhand pass to the side of the net that Roman Josi powered into the goal.
It wasn't just that the pass was right in Josi's wheelhouse, it's also that it somehow evaded Filip Forsberg and a Bolts' defender to go from Johansen's tape to Josi. 2-0 Nashville at the end of the first looked a lot better in its making and its result.
His goaltender is certain is was all intentional too:
"Oh yeah, if you look at the replay, he takes a little peek and makes that spin-o-rama pass," Rinne said of Johansen's wizardry. "It was pretty unreal, beautiful goal, I wasn't surprised, but it was pretty cool to see in a game."
The shot total tilted heavily toward the home team in the second, as the Bolts steered 17 shots on goal compared to the Preds' four. Nashville's defense limited the quality of most of the Lightning's chances, however, and Tampa Bay was only able to beat Rinne a single time in the 20-minute span. The middle frame concluded, 2-1, Nashville.
Tampa Bay continued to press in the third period, but Rinne kept turning them aside, making save after save to keep his club in the lead. Then, with less than four minutes to play, Johansen dished again to collect his 12th assist in his last nine games, this time to Calle Jarnkrok on a 2-on-1. Jarnkrok roofed his second such goal in as many contests, and later, Miikka Salomaki iced it with an empty-netter to make Nashville the first team to hit double-digit wins this season.

Nashville's bench boss had one of the best seats in the house to a pair of dynamic performances, first from Johansen...
"They were beauties," Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said of Johansen's assists. "That's who he is. There are no easy ones for him. The two assists he made tonight were just incredible vision, incredible skill level, but it doesn't surprise me the majority of his assists are first assists."
...and then from Rinne.
"He was unbelievable," Laviolette said of his netminder. "He looked really sharp to me… He was brilliant, and he needed to be."
In a skirmish between the League's top two teams, according to the standings, the Predators found a way to win in what was arguably their toughest test of the young season.
And arguably the top reason for that success is a goaltender who has been doing just that for years and years.
"Unbelievable," Johansen said of Rinne. "To come back in and do his thing like he did, that's what we expect from him and that's what he expects from himself. He brings it for us every night."

Notes:
Both Zac Rinaldo and Viktor Arvidsson missed the game with lower-body injuries. Arvidsson participated in Thursday's morning skate, while Rinaldo did not make the trip to Tampa.
The contest was the 1,100th of Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette's career. He is the seventh active head coach to reach the mark.
Pekka Rinne's 42 saves were a season high and his third highest total since the start of the 2011-12 season.
The Predators improved to 11-1-2 in their last 14 meetings with the Lightning, including a 4-0-1 mark in the last five at Amalie Arena.
Anthony Bitetto was the lone healthy scratch for Nashville, while Rocco Grimaldi and Frederick Gaudreau returned to the Preds' lineup.
Up next, the Predators will host the Bruins on Saturday evening for Hockey Fights Cancer Night. More information, including how you can donate to the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily, will be available in the game's preview.