Wild coach John Hynes is going back to starter Jesper Wallstedt for tonight’s critical Game 3 against the Avalanche, who lead the teams’ second-round playoff series 2-0 after beating the Wild and backup goalie Filip Gustavsson 5-2 Tuesday in Denver.
“He’s played really good hockey,” Hynes said, confirming after the morning skate that Wallstedt would replace backup Filip Gustavsson. “I laugh sometimes because it’s like you make a decision for all the right reasons, and that was the plan. Like, (Wallstedt) was a little bit tired, had the (series’ first) game. . . Gus came in, he got his opportunity to play. Wally got some rest, recovery, so he’s ready to go.
“It wasn’t anything that was, you know, earth shattering from our standpoint, other than trying to do what’s right for the goalies, trying to do what’s right for the team. And he gets back in the net tonight.”
Wallstedt was excellent in Minnesota’s six-game defeat of the Dallas Stars last round, so Hynes decision to go with Gustavsson after the Wild’s series-opening 9-6 shootout loss to the Avalanche last Sunday was a little surprising.
In Gustavsson’s first start of the National Hockey League playoffs, the backup goalie looked suspect on two of the four goals he surrendered.
The Wild have to stop getting out-goaltended, among other issues, to get back in this series against the Stanley Cup-favourite Avalanche, who are 6-0 in the post-season with goalie Scott Wedgewood.
For reasons unknown, Colorado coach Jared Bednar refused to confirm his starter for Game 3 but said Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Cale Makar will play after taking a “maintenance” day on Thursday.
Wallstedt told The Athletic on Friday that he would be ready for Game 3.
“It was good timing to get Gus in to play,” he said. “Obviously, you give up eight goals, it’s a good reason to try another (goalie). No bad feelings about that.
“Whatever happens for Game 3, Game 1 was a good learning experience. I’ve played Colorado before, and that was just a different game. I didn’t play my best hockey. You reset, you look at stuff.”
When Hynes was asked about Wallstedt’s ability to “bounce back,” the coach turned the question around.
“I guess I’ll look at it differently, right?” Hynes said. “He played six unbelievable games (in the first round). That’s why he can come back — he played six unbelievable games. He won a series. That (9-6) game was a one-off. To me, it’s not so much, ‘Well, how’s does he bounce back off a tough game?’ Let’s take it this way: six great ones to one that wasn’t on him. So there’s a confidence built up in there, you know? I think that’s where it’s glass half-full, glass half-empty. We can focus on the loss, or we can focus on the six wins.”
ICE CHIPS — Despite Joel Eriksson Ek’s one-legged participation in Friday’s practice — before he left the ice noticeably limping — Minnesota’s injured forward will not play tonight. Hynes insisted his top centre remains “day to day” and could be an option for Game 4 on Monday. . . There is no indication that shutdown defenceman Jonas Brodin, injured in the fifth game against Dallas, will be available this series. . . Brodin’s absence has caused a mini-crisis on Minnesota’s second defence pairing, as a new partnership between Jake Middleton and Jared Spurgeon has been torched by Colorado for nine goals against through two games. Hynes said he will try Daemon Hunt beside Spurgeon tonight and drop Middleton to the third pairing alongside Zach Bogosian, who returns after missing one game due to a lower-body injury. . . Besides their second pairing on defence, the Wild need to fix their penalty kill, which has surrendered three goals to the Avalanche on seven chances and has a playoff success rate of just 59.4 per cent, the worst on record for a second-round team since the NHL began tracking penalty killing in 1978. . . Bednar declined to say if injured Colorado defenceman Josh Manson will be available tonight.