Pekka Rinne's return to form central to Predators' winning mindset

Nashville Predators general manager David Poile hired a new head coach and signed three free agent centers in the offseason and yet those bold moves almost seem of secondary importance to the team's new look in net.

"The best offseason acquisition we could make was getting a healthy Pekka Rinne," Poile said.

Rinne has been Nashville's No. 1 goalie since 2008-09, but he missed 51 games last year with a hip injury that was complicated by an infection. He came back late in the season, but the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist simply didn't look like himself in his 24 games.

This season, he looks like a new man in net, or perhaps it's a re-emergence of the Rinne of old. It feels as if the Predators have changed goalies.

"The confidence our club has when he is in the net is often times the difference between winning and losing," Poile said.

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With Rinne bumping his save percentage from last season's .902 to .940, the new-look Predators have enjoyed an impressive 4-0-2 start.

Rinne's return to his old form started last May when he helped Finland win a silver medal at the World Championships. He was voted the tournament's MVP.

"Even though he came back at the end of the NHL year, he wasn't firing on all cylinders," Poile said. "He was tentative because all that he had gone through with his hip. But he found his game at the World Championships. That gave him the confidence."

Now the confidence is being passed on to the Predators, who are trying to get back into the playoffs after a two-season absence.

Last season, Carter Hutton played well as Rinne's replacement, posting a 20-11-4 record. But Rinne has an aura about him that is almost like a security blanket for the Predators.

"I think Carter did a fabulous job," Poile said. "But we play differently with Pekka in net. I don't know whether it's we take more chances offensively or whether it's just the confidence we have that he is going to come through with a save. Our team changed. We became even more defensive than we had ever been before last season."

Other important goalie story lines:

• Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings): With the defending champion Kings looking at the possibility of being without suspended defenseman Slava Voynov for a lengthy period, it's particularly timely that Quick is enjoying a strong start that includes a 1.86 goals-against average and .951 save percentage.

• Frederik Andersen (Anaheim Ducks): One of the major concerns about the Ducks coming into the seasons was whether goaltending inexperience would cause problems.

Andersen has erased those worries by starting 6-0 with a 1.32 GAA and .951 save percentage.

• Jonas Hiller (Calgary Flames): A key reason why the Flames have been more competitive than expected is Hiller's .942 save percentage. He could end up being one the best offseason signings.

• Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota Wild): Injuries and illness wreaked havoc with Minnesota's goaltending last season, but this season Kuemper has given up only two goals in his first three starts. He has two shutouts.