MN Wild Sticking with Wallstedt
Up 1-0 following a dominant game one victory in Dallas, the Minnesota Wild had a chance to put the Stars on the ropes Monday in game two, before the series ever shifted to the Twin Cities.
Unfortunately, the couldn’t get the job done. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was a completely different guy, stopping 28 of the Wild’s 30 shots, robbing Matt Boldy multiple times, while keeping every Wild player not named Brock Faber (who scored both of MN’s goals), off the score sheet.
— DallasStarsGoals (@DallasStarsGoal) April 21, 2026
Without a doubt, Dallas showed up at the rink Monday with a different type of desperation, making Minnesota pay for just about every mistake they made. And now, we have a 1-1 series, going to St. Paul.
Minnesota Wild sticking with Jesper Wallstedt
On the other side of the ice, kid goalie Jesper Wallstedt wasn’t quite as unflappable as what we saw in his playoff debut, game one. Monday, he allowed three goals on 31 shots, including the first goal of the night, which came one a weird carom off the boards, then off the Wild goalie, and in for a Dallas goal.
Neither the game two loss, nor Wallstedt’s performance, will trigger Minnesota to make a change in net, however. Head coach John Hynes told reporters Tuesday that the Wild’s 23-year-old goalie will get his third-straight playoff start tomorrow evening.
The Wild just landed in the Twin Cities.
— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) April 21, 2026
John Hynes, fresh off the plane, “our team didn’t take a step back from a competitive standpoint.”
Wild have home ice going into game-3 tomorrow night in St. Paul.
Hynes will stick with Wallstedt in goal. pic.twitter.com/OxYal9fJBe
In two games so far this postseason, Jesper Wallstedt has saved 55 of 59 shots (.932 save %) and allowed just over 2 goals per game (2.02 GAA). His goals saved above average currently sits at 2.2.
The big question, at this point, is whether or not Filip Gustavsson ever gets his turn in net. Will it take an absolute debacle out of Wallstedt, in order for Gus Bus to get his chance? Or, is Wallstedt’s leash shorter than we think it is entering game three?
Hopefully, we don’t have to find out.
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