ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Filip Gustavsson stood in the crease with his glove hand resting on the crossbar, the goaltender a bystander as the Wild performed a drill at practice Monday in Anaheim.
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson will get another chance in the nets soon
With back-to-back games on the West Coast, Filip Gustavsson will play against either the Kings or the Ducks.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 19, 2024 at 12:57PM
Gustavsson had the same view during the last batch of games, just from the bench.
Marc-Andre Fleury has rattled off four straight starts, backstopping the Wild to a perfect homestand before a 3-2 shootout loss Saturday at St. Louis that kicked off the Wild’s road trip.
The veteran goalie was named the NHL’s third star of the week after his 2-0-1 stretch that included a 0.97 goals-against average, .961 save percentage and his 75th career shutout, which is one shy of reaching the top 10 in league history.
But Gustavsson will be back in action soon: The Wild begin a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Ducks before facing the Kings on Wednesday in Los Angeles, and each goalie will work a game, although coach John Hynes didn’t specify the order.
“Looking forward to it,” Gustavsson said.
After posting the second-best goals-against average and save percentage in the NHL last season, his first with the Wild, Gustavsson hasn’t had the same consistency in Year 2.
He recorded just two victories in his first 11 appearances, was sharp at the end of November and into December when he won eight out of another 11 and then was shelved for two weeks because of injury. Gustavsson reset in January and was also effective after the All-Star break but has been in net for only two wins in his past seven starts.
Fleury, meanwhile, is on a 9-2-1 run.
“We need two goalies down the stretch to play at a high level,” Hynes said. “I’ve liked [Gustavsson’s] practices. I know he’s hungry to get back into the net, and I think he’s done a good job of getting himself prepared. Now he’s gotta come out and compete.”
Although he hasn’t played in more than a week, Gustavsson is coming off a strong showing.
His 38 saves vs. Colorado on March 8 helped the Wild secure a point from a 2-1 overtime loss that saw the Avalanche score the winning goal on the power play.
“It felt like I had some good flow,” Gustavsson recalled. “It felt like I didn’t think too much. It was just all natural again. When it’s natural like that, you just know where to look, know where to put your body, and then it just works.”
Injury update
Joel Eriksson Ek didn’t meet the Wild in California, meaning he’ll miss the next two games, but he may return on Saturday vs. St. Louis.
Eriksson Ek has been sidelined since suffering a lower-body injury in the win over Arizona last Tuesday, and while he’s been out, Ryan Hartman has taken Eriksson Ek’s spot at center on the top line.
Hynes juggled the lineup late in Saturday’s game against the Blues, but Hartman was back with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy during practice Monday while Marco Rossi reunited with Marcus Johansson and Mats Zuccarello.
There was one change, though, on the fourth line: Adam Beckman skated in Vinni Lettieri’s spot after being a healthy scratch the past three games.
“We’ll look to give him another opportunity,” Hynes said.
New deal
The Wild signed prospect Rasmus Kumpulainen to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins next season.
Kumpulainen, 18, was drafted in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Wild last year and has been playing for Oshawa in the Ontario Hockey League after leaving his native Finland.
Through 56 games, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound center has 28 goals and 27 assists. His 10 power-play goals are the most on the team. Kumpulainen also represented Finland at the last World Junior Championship, scoring twice.
A 7-1 loss to Edmonton came with back-to-back home games just ahead and another injury in place, as the Wild placed defenseman Jake Middleton on IR and claimed veteran Travis Dermott off waivers.
