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Posted at 12:20 PM EST. 

8:00 PM EST. Even though the Predators got the split in Anaheim, one has to wonder if the Ducks are in the Predators heads. The Nashville news feed is filled with stories about Ryan Johansen's battles with Ryan Kesler and the slashes to PK Subban but all of that is just noise. The real problem for Nashville is that the clock has finally struck midnight for goaltender Pekka Rinne. Rinne has been on our caution list the past couple of years and it’s for good reason. Despite his quality of play diminishing, Rinne is still regarded as a stud goalie in the market. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, he overachieved greatly by allowing just 16 goals in 11 games. In Game 2 Sunday night, he was tagged for four goals on 26 shots. The Ducks may have found a weakness as well, going high blocker side twice on that big stiff. We simply do not trust Rinne to recommend him and the proof is in the pudding. He allows soft goals and it’s a problem that this market is not considering.  

The story of the Ducks in this playoff season is their ability to come back from an early deficit. While playing from behind is not ideal, Anaheim is a nasty, physical team and that style of play sets the tone early. The Ducks have succeeded in their goal to bring the Preds down to their level. For all the whining the Preds are doing about Ryan Kesler, nobody is talking about the spear to the groin that Jakob Silfverberg took from Filip Forsberg. This series has gotten real chippy and that is exactly the game the Ducks want to play.

Much has been made about the Preds home record this playoff where they are 5-0. In Anaheim's last two trips to Nashville, the Ducks were outscored 8-1. So much of the market's perception is based on the latest results and the media is playing up Anaheim’s recent struggles in Nashville and the fact that Nashville hasn’t lost at home. No question that Smashville is a difficult arena to play in but all of that has caused a big overreaction in the market. That means we get an inflated price in a game the dog absolutely can win.

So many of these playoffs games come down to which goaltender is better and nothing more. When we can take back a great and inflated price on the superior goaltender, it’s a bet we’re going to make almost every time. John Gibson has been spectacular through the first two games of this series, stopping 43 shots in Game 1 and following that up with 30 saves in Game 2 while Rinne continues to fight the puck and make lucky saves facing sideways. Where the value lies here is not debatable. This is a seriously inflated price and must be played. 

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