Pekka Rinne made no excuses for his poor play in a disappointing Game 7 on Thursday.
Rinne allowed two soft goals to the Winnipeg Jets and was pulled less than 11 minutes into what ended up being a 5-1 season-ending loss. Juuse Saros, who replaced him, did not fare much better and let up three more goals.
Rinne spoke with the media after the game and owned his awful showing.
“Obviously feel very much responsible for our season ending at this point,” Rinne said. “It’s tough. I can’t point to anything. Felt good, no injuries, totally healthy. Obviously biggest moment of the season, it’s a terrible feeling. You let your teammates down. It’s tough to swallow.
“Two terrible goals at the wrong time. It’s hard … there’s no excuses.”
It’s hard to comprehend what happened with Rinne. He may end up winning the Vezina Trophy, but he was pulled three times — all at home — during the series against the Jets. He just failed to show up in the big moments.
