(11-7-25) Wild Vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup

Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup

The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) are on the road tonight to face the New York Islanders (6-5-2). The matchup features rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild against veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.

Wild's Goaltending

Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start after Filip Gustavsson, who had five consecutive starts and played in yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit tonight. Wallstedt, 23, holds a 1-0-2 record this season with a 3.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a .863 save percentage in ten games.

Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before, either this season or in his NHL career. Overall, he is 3-3-2 with a 3.34 GAA and a .863 save percentage in his NHL career.

Islanders' Goaltending

The Islanders are playing the first game of a back-to-back series. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled to start on Saturday.

Rittich, 33, is 3-1-0 this season with a 3.01 GAA and a .902 save percentage in four games. While he did not face the Wild last year, he has had considerable success against them in his career.

Rittich is "5-0-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage" against the Wild, with one shutout in six career starts.

This season's matchup will be a key test for wallstedt against an experienced goaltender known for his strong performances versus the Wild.

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Summary: Jesper Wallstedt aims to prove himself against veteran David Rittich, who boasts an impressive career record against the Wild in tonight's key goaltending duel.

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The Hockey News The Hockey News — 2025-11-07

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