In a goalie battle that places a premium on vowels, Pekka Rinne faces of against Antti Niemi. The Western Conference foes each enjoy exclusive membership in the elite goaltenders club. While Rinne has long been regarded as one of the top backstops in the world his countryman Niemi has come into his own of late.

Rinne has been the anchor of the Nashville Predators since his rookie season in 2008. With a microscopic career GAA of 2.36, save percentage of .919 and 30 career shutouts, Rinne is a fixture at or near the top of every goaltending statistical category. 

An off year in 2013 for both Rinne and the Predators saw his usual amazing numbers inflate a tad, rookie defenseman Seth Jones and veteran Shea Weber will ensure a return to form for both Nashville and their stud goalie.

The pessimist may see some red flags when they look at the Predators goaltender. Offseason hip surgery was deemed a success by the Nashville medical staff and by Rinne himself, but there could be questions about his recovery if he gets off to a poor start.

The bigger picture and more substantial concern is the inflation of Rinne’s stats over the past three seasons. The goaltender is usually the litmus test of a team’s success and failure and Rinne certainly reflects the struggles of the Predators over that time. By setting the bar so high early in his career, you could make the argument that Rinne is a victim of his own success.

In San Jose, Anttii Niemi took center stage as the most valuable member of the Sharks in the 2013 season. A listless regular season from San Jose saw unprecedented home success conjoined with an apathetic road record. The inconsistency of the team was not matched by their franchise goaltender Niemi who boasted Vezina quality individual numbers. In a shortened season, Niemi posted career bests in GAA (2.16) and save percentage (.924).

It is easy to forget that as a rookie in 2009-10, Niemi led the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in over 40 years. He was rewarded by the franchise by being allowed to sign with San Jose. It’s hard to argue with the Chicago logic since they just won their second cup in four years. I suppose by certain logic Corey Crawford will be a Vezina Trophy nominee three years from now.

Though Niemi has been unable to replicate the team success from his Chicago days, the Sharks are perennial contenders in the Western Conference. An aging roster may be cause for concern, but with a star like Niemi in goal the Sharks have a chance to win every night.

With only nine months separating the two standout Finnish goaltenders, age is nothing but a number. If you have to decide between Rinne and Niemi it can be more complicated than simply choosing the better team. The body of work between the two is remarkably similar so it could come down to nothing more than a coin flip. For my money (and possibly yours), I will take Niemi ahead of Rinne. Given the statistical body of work, Niemi wins a higher number of his starts and shockingly posts as many shutouts as Rinne. While Nashville might be considered the better defensive team, the numbers tell us that San Jose might be just as good. The Sharks historically win more than Nashville, which clinches my decision to take their goaltender Antti Niemi ahead of Pekka Rinne.