from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The Nashville Predators won yet again, this time 4-1 over the visiting Vancouver Canucks, but the real story on this night was the injury to superstar Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

The Hart and Vezina Trophy candidate, who leads the NHL with 29 wins, left the game early in the third period after a mild collision with Chris Higgins of the Canucks pushed him into the back boards, where his left pad hit first. It wasn't violent by any measure, but Rinne was hurt. He was listed as day to day after the game with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated Thursday by the team.

Head coach Peter Laviolette said after the game said he didn't think the injury was bad at first glance, "but you just never know," he said. Talk about a team holding its breath. Rinne missed 51 games last year with a hip issue/infection, and he is their engine so let's hope it is indeed a minor injury.

read on for more topics from the ESPN hockey crew including the Bruins have a decision to make on David Pastrnak...