Juuse Saros Gets Shutout, Ties Tomas Vokoun on Nashville Predators List

The history of the Nashville Predators is blanketed with great goalies from Pekka Rinne on down the list, and Juuse Saros moved a little further up the franchise list in one category on Thursday.

With Saros’ 23 saves to shutout the Seattle Kraken, he moves into a tie with the first great franchise goalie of the Predators, Tomas Vokoun.

It’s Saros’ 21st shutout, and he ties Vokoun’s career total with 95 fewer games played. He’s well behind Rinne’s career pace that finished with 60 career shutouts.

Saros Claims his 21st Shutout, Moves up the Nashville Predators Franchise List

“He’s as consistent as they come. [He’s] a complete battler, gamer. He never gives up on a puck, and he’s just an incredible worker and backbone of our team for sure”- Ryan McDonagh told the Preds Official Website

As we all know, shutouts are one of the hardest achievements in the NHL, regardless of position. With the fast-paced and heavy offensive style that most teams play with, even the best of the best usually get beat at least once or twice each game.

Ryan McDonagh told the team’s official website in the post-game that Saros is the “backbone” of the team:

In the early going of the 2023-24 season, there’s only been two shutouts so far. Saros over the Kraken, and Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild over the Florida Panthers.

Saros had only two shutouts in 2022-23, but still finished fourth in the Vezina Trophy voting. His career high for a season in shutouts is four, and he’s done that twice (2019-20, 2021-22).

Predators All-Time List for Shutouts

1.  Pekka Rinne– 60

2. Juuse Saros- 21

3. Tomas Vokoun- 21

4. Chris Mason- 12

5. Dan Ellis- 10

Another interesting nugget from Saros’ shutout over the Kraken is this is only the second time in franchise history that a Predators goaltender recorded a shutout in the home opener. The other is Chris Mason, a TV analyst covering the team for Bally Sports South.

The NHL’s all-time shutout leader is Martin Brodeur with 125, and no one even close to passing him anytime soon. The NHL’s active leader in shutouts is Marc-Andre Fleury with 73, followed by Jonathan Quick with 58.

Will Saros Finally Get More Goal Support from the Predators Offense?

It’s the overwhelming belief that it’s a matter of when and not if Saros will one day claim a Vezina Trophy. Many think this could be his year, and this is certainly a great way to get that going in his second start of the season.

Backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen matched Saros’ numbers last season and was brought back on another one-year deal in the offseason. It’s been a topic of speculation on how Head Coach Andrew Brunette will handle the workload of Saros and Lankinen.

Saros has always been the primary reason why no one ever completely buries the Nashville Predators from being a fringe playoff team. With their new offense that pushes the pace pledging to give more goal support to Saros, it could really unluck some special things for this team in 2023-24.

Through two games, the Predators have six goals, with one being an empty net. In Saros’ shutout against the Kraken, they could’ve easily gone for five goals, and have 66 shots on goal through the first two games.

As the Nashville Predators continue to build more chemistry and pile on the shots, the goals will follow and Saros will be in prime position to do the rest. And that’s being an opposing goal scorer’s worst nightmare between the pipes.