CALGARY, Alberta -- Juuse Saros sat in shorts and a sweatshirt on the end of the Predators bench Saturday morning.

To his left, in a full sweat and full pads, was Pekka Rinne.

Most of the rest of the Predators had long since ditched their practice gear and returned to the team hotel after their morning skate at the Saddledome.

But Saros and Rinne remained long after the skate and long before their 5-2 loss against the Flames.

They talked in Finnish while watching Matt Irwin and Eeli Tolvanen scrimmage against a few coaches in the mostly empty arena.

They fiddled with their goalie sticks and equipment and offered occasional words of encouragement to teammates.

"We are nerds about that," Saros said of equipment discussions. "We have all this gear."

Back in the Saddledome

By the time the Saddledome filled up Saturday night, Rinne had reclaimed his spot on the bench, briefly back to being a backup and a doorman as Predators came and left the bench. Saros was breaking a sweat while stopping 20 of the 24 shots he faced.

The goalies' roles were reversed for the first time in quite some time. Saros made his first start since Nov. 23, when he was pulled after allowing five goals against the Blues. Ten days before that, Saros allowed five goals in a loss to the Sharks.

Rinne had played in 11 games in a row, 10 of which were starts, before Saturday night.

Saros' recent struggles weren't a topic of discussion on the bench Saturday morning, though. Sometimes some things don't need to be discussed to be understood.

"We both know as goalies sometimes there’s easier times and sometimes there's tougher times," Saros said. "That’s part of the sport."

Room for improvement

And these have been tough times on the ice for Saros.

The soft-spoken 23-year-old relieved Rinne for the third period of a 5-3 loss Thursday against the Canucks and allowed one goal.

Three more went by him Saturday, making it 18 in his last four starts.

Saros' promising 7-2 start to the season came with a .909 save percentage and a shutout attached.

"You can practice however much you want, but it’s always different when you get the feeling of playing," Saros said.

GONE FISHIN':Sign up for Catfish Corner, the free Predators newsletter

Predators coach Peter Laviolette has reiterated his trust in Saros and said he played pretty well Saturday.

Defenseman Ryan Ellis agreed.

"He played great," Ellis said. "A lot of those goals there’s nothing you can do – tips, deflections, screens, whatever it may be.

"We have to do a better job in front of both our goalies."

To be fair, Rinne's ridiculous numbers -- he is 9-4-1 with a .931 save percentage since missing five games earlier this season -- and the ridiculous number of injuries to key players -- Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, P.K. Subban and Kyle Turris -- also have been reasons to sit Saros.

"Of course you want to make a couple of those extra saves to keep your team in the game," Saros said after Saturday's loss. "I still have room to improve."

Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.

FUTURE WATCH:A look at who the Predators might protect in the 2021 expansion draft

SALOMAKI HAS A HOCKEY FACE:Why Predators forward Miikka Salomaki is willing to pay painful price to play in NHL