Adam Vingan

avingan@tennessean.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The victorious Predators filed off their bench at Pepsi Center on Tuesday and streamed toward Pekka Rinne, lining up to exchange the customary congratulatory head bumps with their goaltender.

As much as the Predators collectively needed Tuesday’s 5-1 win against the Avalanche, so did Rinne, whose start to the season hasn’t quieted a growing number of critics. Despite his strong, 28-save outing in Colorado, Rinne's numbers this season — a 2-4-1 record, 2.89 goals-against average and .914 save percentage — aren't sparkling.

"It's a team sport, but inside a team sport, it's an individual position," said Rinne, who turns 34 on Thursday. "Every single goal you give up matters and it shows in your statistics, so it's easy to look at those statistics and let that show you how you're playing. ... I've learned not to look at those numbers. Eventually, if you keep doing the right thing, playing well and working hard, those things are going to take care of (themselves)."

Goaltending historically has been Nashville's one constant, but it's now perceived as the team's biggest weakness with Rinne's game having slipped, according to national media and analysts. Such criticism reached its height last season, when Rinne had the worst save percentage among the NHL's workhorse goaltenders (at least 60 starts). He was receiving the workload of an elite goaltender, but not playing like one.

Rinne's season to date, much like the team's as a whole, has been inconsistent. He allowed at least three goals in each of the first three games of the Predators' five-game road trip, which ends Thursday against the Coyotes.

When hotshot prospect Juuse Saros dazzled in place of Rinne, who was sidelined by illness, in a victory against the Penguins on Oct. 22, a vocal portion of the fan base called for the Predators' succession plan in goal to be sped up.

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"Pekka's not escaping criticism, either," Predators general manager David Poile said while discussing the team's overall start. "We need and he needs to be part of the solution to get us out of this. Higher save percentage, the save at the right time. Do I think he's playing good? Yes, I do. Do I think he can play better? We need him to play better, just like the same thing I'd say with the forwards and defensemen. Everybody's got to take their game up a notch."

Rinne did that against the Avalanche, allowing a goal on Colorado's fourth shot before stopping the next 25. It was a reminder of what he's still capable of.

"Sometimes it's hard because the results dictate so much how you feel and how you feel about yourself, how you feel about your game," Rinne said. "To me, that's the biggest thing, wins and losses. But at the same time, you try to be honest with yourself and be able to look at yourself in the mirror.

"There's obviously a lot of room for improvement, but for the most part, I've been feeling good and feeling good on the ice, confident. And that's a good thing."

Reach Adam Vingan on Twitter @AdamVingan.

NEXT GAME

PREDATORS at COYOTES

When: 9 p.m. Thursday

TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM