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, with the goaltending matchup set to be a key factor.
Wild Goaltending Situation
After starting five consecutive games and playing in yesterday's loss to Carolina, Filip Gustavsson will sit out tonight. Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start for the Wild. Wallstedt, 23, holds a 1-0-2 record this season, with a 3.38 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage over ten games.
Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before, either last season or in his career. Overall, he has a 3-3-2 career NHL record with a 3.34 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage.
Islanders Goaltending Situation
The Islanders are beginning a back-to-back set of games. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that veteran David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin set to start Saturday.
Rittich, 33, is 3-1-0 on the season in four games, posting a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Although he did not face the Wild last year, Rittich has historically performed well against them. He boasts a 5-0-1 career record against Minnesota, with a 2.11 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and one shutout in six starts.
"David Rittich is 5-0-1 against the Wild with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, including one shutout in six career starts."
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