Wild Vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) are on the road to face the New York Islanders (6-5-2) tonight. The projected goaltending matchup features rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild against veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.
Minnesota Wild Goaltending Situation
Filip Gustavsson, after five straight starts and playing in yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit out tonight’s game. Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start. This season, Wallstedt holds a 1-0-2 record with a 3.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a .863 save percentage across ten games.
At 23 years old, Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before. His NHL career record stands at 3-3-2, with a 3.34 GAA and a .863 save percentage.
New York Islanders Goaltending Decision
The Islanders are playing the first game of a back-to-back. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled for Saturday.
Rittich, 33, has appeared in four games this season with a 3-1-0 record, a 3.01 GAA, and a .902 save percentage. Although he did not face the Wild last year, he has had great success against them throughout his career.
"He is 5-0-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. He has one shutout as well in six career starts."
Rittich's strong track record against the Wild makes tonight’s game an intriguing matchup.
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