Dating back to the Pekka Rinne era, the Predators have been a team that often relies on goaltending to win games and help propel them to the playoffs. That's nothing new. What is new, though, is the Preds having a reliable, consistent backup in net behind Juuse Saros. Kevin Lankinen, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Predators as a free agent this offseason, impressed in his first training camp with the club and earned the No. 2 spot behind Saros, creating a formidable one-two punch in the Predators crease.
Both of Nashville's netminders are among the best in the NHL in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx), an advanced stat that measures expected goals against minus goals against and thereby accounts for the quality of shots a goaltender faces. Per Evolving-Hockey.com, Lankinen is ranked No. 10 in the League with a GSAx of 6.57, while Saros is No. 12 with a GSAx of 6.42. Only one other team - the New York Islanders - has two goalies in the top 15.
As if there was any doubt about the elite caliber of the Preds goaltending duo, fans were treated to stellar side-by-side performances last week when the team played back-to-back games in New Jersey and New York. First, Saros stopped 25 shots in the rollercoaster that was Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Devils. He gave up three goals in a four-and-a-half-minute stretch early in the second period, with two of the tallies coming on the power play. However, Saros stayed cool under pressure and regained his footing, giving the Preds a chance to mount a comeback. Saros is 6-0-1 over his last seven starts, allowing more than three goals only once during that stretch.