MN Wild Goalie Mad Over His Playoff Benching
One man who has not received a ton of blame for the Minnesota Wild’s 2-1 series deficit against the Dallas Stars, entering Game 4 on Saturday, is 23-year-old goaltender Jesper Wallstedt — who will get his fourth start of the series on Saturday.
The MN Wild’s rookie netminder enters today’s matchup with a .916 save %, 2.27 goals against average, a solid .667 quality save % and 1.9 goals saved above average. Two of his three starts were considered “quality starts.”
While he hasn’t necessarily been a brick wall through three games, Jesper Wallstedt has been incredibly solid, which is really more than you should be able to expect from a kid playing in his first-ever NHL postseason.
Jesper Wallstedt will make his fourth straight start in the series, and he’s been impressive overall. His sense of calm throughout, even in double overtime in a Game 3 loss, has trickled down to the rest of the team.
Joe Smith – The Athletic
Wallstedt’s always seems to be in the right spot. His focus and fundamentals — which got him drafted in the first round a few years ago — have been impeccable so far in this series. But his Jesper’s real superpower is a unique sense of calm inside the crease, especially when the scene in front of him goes way off-script the rails.
Filip Gustavsson upset over Minnesota Wild benching him
Of course, none of that makes Filip Gustavsson — the Minnesota Wild’s regular season starting goalie — feel any better about his postseason benching, especially with his team trailing in the series.
On Friday, according to NHL reporter Joe Smith, The Athletic approached Filip Gustavsson in the locker room for an interview. He refused, which isn’t a huge surprise. However, the few words he did give reporters let everyone know how Gus Bus is currently feeling about his benching.
For those wondering how goaltender Filip Gustavsson is handling being the backup for the first three games of the series, The Athletic approached him for an interview on Friday, and he respectfully declined, saying, “Talk to the players who are playing.”
Joe Smith – The Athletic
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After losing Game 3 in double-overtime, the Minnesota Wild now find themselves down 2-1 and up against the ropes a little bit this afternoon. Of course, that’s not where the Wild expected to be, at the midpoint of this series.
Earlier this week, when Minnesota waltzed into American Airlines Arena and completely dominated the Stars in Game 1, to the tune of a 6-1 victory to open the first round, their Stanley Cup aspirations felt much more attainable.
Who is to blame for the Wild’s 2-1 series deficit?
Unfortunately, the MN Wild have lost both game since. Still, nobody is blaming Jesper Wallstedt for the team’s 2-1 series deficit. Instead, the pressure is squarely on Kirill Kaprizov to prove he’s worth the near-$17 million per season contract he held the organization hostage for this offseason.
Since his best buddy and linemate Mats Zuccarello left the lineup with a concussion late in Game 1, Kaprizov has not been himself. On opening night, Zuccy assisted on three of the Wild’s goals. One of those came off Kirill’s stick. He also added two helpers of his own.
In games two and three, without the 38-year-old Zuccarello in the lineup, Kirill has been lacking thrill, failing to pot a goal and notching just one assist combined in the Wild’s two-straight losses.
Unsurprisingly, Kaprizov’s struggles aren’t making Filip Gustavsson feel any better about his benching.
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