Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup (11-7-25)
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) visit the New York Islanders (6-5-2) for tonight’s game, featuring an intriguing goaltender duel.
Minnesota Wild Goaltending
After five consecutive starts and playing in yesterday’s loss to Carolina, Filip Gustavsson will rest tonight. Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start. Wallstedt, 23, holds a 1-0-2 record this season with a 3.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a .863 save percentage over ten games.
Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before in his career. His overall NHL record stands at 3-3-2, with a 3.34 GAA and a .863 save percentage.
New York Islanders Goaltending
The Islanders are playing the first game of a back-to-back series. Head coach Patrick Roy announced that David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled for Saturday.
Rittich, 33, is currently 3-1-0 this season through four games, posting a 3.01 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Although he did not face the Wild last year, Rittich boasts strong career numbers against Minnesota.
He is 5-0-1 against the Wild, with a 2.11 GAA, a .935 save percentage, and one shutout in six career starts.
This matchup highlights a battle between the rookie Wallstedt and the veteran Rittich, whose past success against the Wild makes for an interesting contest.
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