Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) play on the road tonight against the New York Islanders (6-5-2). The goaltending matchup features rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild and veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.
Minnesota Wild Goaltending
Jesper Wallstedt, 23, is expected to start after Filip Gustavsson, who made five consecutive starts and played yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit tonight. Wallstedt has a 1-0-2 record this season with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage in 10 games.
Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before, neither last year nor at any point in his career. Overall, he is 3-3-2 in his NHL career with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.
New York Islanders Goaltending
The Islanders begin the first game of a back-to-back series tonight. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed to the team's media that David Rittich will start, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled for the next game on Saturday.
Rittich, 33, holds a 3-1-0 record this season with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage through four games. Although he did not play against the Wild last year, he has had significant success facing them over 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 record against the Wild contrasts with his broader season numbers, making this matchup particularly interesting.
Summary
Tonight's game features a promising rookie goaltender against a veteran with a proven record versus the Wild, setting up an intriguing contest in net.
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Author's summary: Jesper Wallstedt faces veteran David Rittich, who boasts an impressive career record against the Wild, making this goaltender matchup key for tonight's game.