Saros was pulled in a four goal first period against the Kraken. Should John Hynes start him in net against the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche tonight?
It hasn't been the smoothest start to the season for Juuse Saros. The Finnish net minder and 2021-2022 Vezina Trophy finalist is coming off his roughest start on Tuesday night against the Seattle Kraken that saw the Kraken score four goals on their first six shot attempts. Just 16:25 into the game, Saros headed for the bench and was replaced by back up Kevin Lankinen.
The four early Seattle goals were not all on Saros, although the first goal looked like an easy one the goaltender let by him. Nashville committed turnovers in the defensive zone, allowed odd man rushes, and the players in front of Saros spectated in the slot as the Kraken found puck after puck in high danger areas early.
If this were a one game issue, I doubt Saros' play would be the headline from the 5-1 Kraken loss, but there have been other saves in Saros' 3-6-1 start that add fuel to the "Saros is a slow starter" narrative. With a more reliable back up in Lankinen than the team had last season, should a struggling Juuse Saros get the start in net tonight in a game that yet again have a "must win" feel to it?
Yes. Here's why.
Saros deserves a chance to shake off the disappointment and frustration of the Kraken loss and get his confidence back in net. Granted, some of the early goals scored against the Preds were off of shots Saros would normally have saved, but he has not gotten the defensive support on a lot of the goals against. Saros is a goaltender who has won his team games they had no business winning in the past. It is time for the players in front of him to return the favor.
It isn't just a statistical argument either. In a conversation with 102.5 The Game, Roman Josi shared that the team feels they let their goaltender down with the chances they gave up in Seattle. The Preds roster knows the talent they have in Saros, and with him back in net it may spark an extra emotional push to perform better tonight in front of the teammate they let down.
We talk about Saros' slow starts to seasons, but of equal consideration is how he improves with time in net. Saros started a league high 67 games last season, and while it is unlikely he'll log that many miles with Lankinen behind him, consistent time in net has been part of the cure for the slow starts Saros has had in seasons past. Lankinen started for the Preds against the Flames on this road trip, so Saros has had a break already on this long west coast swing.
Finally, Juuse Saros didn't get a chance to play against the Avalanche in the post season due to injury at the end of 2021-2022 season. It is hard not to argue that the Preds would have performed better in that first round series with Saros in net, but it is hard to argue that the outcome would have changed. Colorado was the best team in the league peaking at the right time with a team overflowing with hungry talent. Saros in net may have made the Nashville's postseason more competitive and perhaps a game or two longer, but I doubt he could have carried the team to a series win over the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
There is something poetic about giving Saros the start tonight against a slightly different and somewhat injured Avs team. There is an extra intangible intensity when it comes to getting a win tonight, not just because the Predators need to turn things around, but because the opportunity to do that against the team that embarrassed them last season is rich with plot. A win - or at least a vintage Saros game in net - would help put to rest the murmured frustration with Nashville's top net minder.