Why Rinne is key to Predators' resurgence

It's no coincidence that the Nashville Predators seem to have started turning a corner at the beginning of November.

On that night, goaltender Pekka Rinne stopped 28 of 29 shots fired by the Colorado Avalanche, beginning a run of strong play that has helped the club pick up at least a point in each of the six games played this month.

Rinne's latest feat was a 27-save shutout against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, and the 10 points earned so far in November have put the Predators within two points of the St. Louis Blues for second in the Central Division, with two fewer games played.

The strong goaltending has proven to be an anchor as of late, giving the rest of the team a chance to catch up after an unexpectedly slow start.

"Every year, the seats get rearranged a little bit on the boat," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said, per Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. You've got to figure out where your seat is and what's expected of you. There's definitely a little transition that we went through. I wish we handled it a little bit better and didn't get into that spot.

"I think guys are scoring goals too now, and they're getting a little bit more confident on the ice, so I think it's a combination of both things."

Knowing things are locked down in the defensive zone allows the rest of the team to focus more on moving the puck up the ice, the coach added.

Four of the past six games have been at home, and the Predators will now head out on a three-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Toronto.

Asking Rinne to maintain his .930 save percentage to date this season is a bit much, but a final number closer to his career average of .918 than last year's .908 would be a boon to Nashville's chances of success this campaign.

To return to Laviolette's boat analogy, it's not smooth sailing quite yet for the Predators, but the clouds have parted a bit, at least.