ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) 鈥� The Minnesota Wild have entered the with fully professed confidence in both of their goalies. Their preference is to keep a secret whether Filip Gustavsson or will start.
After the Wild practiced on Thursday ahead of their trip to Dallas for the first round series, coach John Hynes declined to answer the question about who will get the net for Game 1 against the Stars on Saturday afternoon.
鈥淵ou can argue both sides, right? This is what I would say: We have two excellent goaltenders. We鈥檝e had two excellent goaltenders all year long,” Hynes said.
Gustavsson has long figured to be the favorite for his experience, making 49 starts in his third season as the for the Wild. He has a 4-6 record in the playoffs on his resume, having made a stellar postseason debut three years ago with 51 saves to beat the Stars in double overtime of Game 1 of that first-round series.
But the 27-year-old Gustavsson wasn’t sharp down the stretch of the regular season, giving up four or more goals in five of his last six starts. Whether or not his performance was related to the Wild being all but locked in as the in the and resting several regular skaters, Gustavsson clearly gave the coaching staff some reason to pause.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 any stress for me,鈥� Gustavsson said. “I don鈥檛 make that decision, so I just play when they tell me to play.鈥�
Wallstedt is just a rookie at age 23, but the debut for the 2021 first-round draft pick was a . He finished second in the NHL with a .916 save percentage while making 33 starts and setting franchise rookie records with 18 wins and four shutouts.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 go wrong with the decision. Eventually we will make the decision and let the guys know what it鈥檚 going to be, but we feel comfortable that no matter who we play he鈥檚 going to give us a great game,鈥� Hynes said.
Hynes also declined to confirm or deny the Wild plan to use both goalies in the best-of-seven series.
鈥淲e鈥檒l just take it day by day and we鈥檒l make the decision, we鈥檒l go to Game 1 together as a team, and then we鈥檒l see how that goes,” Hynes said.
In a unique twist on this tandem, both Gustavsson and Wallstedt were on Sweden’s national team in the Winter Olympics earlier this year.
鈥淚 like where I鈥檓 at. The game I鈥檝e played lately has been good. I think I can play anyone,鈥� Wallstedt said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited if I get to play to show that in the playoffs.鈥�
Hynes wasn’t ready to confirm the rest of his lineup, either, though the Wild’s first pair of 40-goal scorers, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, will be split between the first two lines for balance. Standout defenseman Quinn Hughes was the only regular not on the ice for practice, because of an illness. He will travel with the team to Dallas, and Hynes said he’s hopeful that Hughes will be recovered in time to play on Saturday.
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