Wild's rookie goalie arrived ready

The accolades are new, a Wild record for most consecutive victories by a rookie goaltender and the first netminder in the NHL this season to go on an 8-0 run.

But Kaapo Kahkonen didn't change much to achieve them.

He's essentially the same goalie now as he was before he seized control of the Wild's crease with an unprecedented winning streak, having already established the foundation in his game that could continue to serve the Wild for years to come.

"All the credit goes to him," goaltending coach Frederic Chabot said, "and we're really enjoying having him here."

When Kahkonen joined the organization's ranks in 2018, four years after he was drafted in the fourth round, he had a different experience level than most prospects.

He wasn't beginning his minor league training out of college or junior hockey. Kahkonen was already a pro player, having racked up more than 100 games in Finland over the previous four seasons. He'd also backstopped Finland to a gold medal at the 2016 World Juniors.

And that pedigree was clear to Chabot from the first time he met Kahkonen during a development camp years before he'd end up on Iowa's roster in the American Hockey League.

Back then, Chabot was the Wild's goaltending development coach, and not only was he impressed by Kahkonen's size and ability, but he could tell Kahkonen had the mind-set of a professional by being in shape and striving to improve his game.

"The development part had already started," said Chabot, who became the Wild's goaltending coach before the season. "So, when he came over, he just had to adjust to life in America and adjust to the style of hockey and just play goal."

Kahkonen made an impact in Iowa, getting crowned the league's most outstanding goaltender last year in his second season.

He went 25-6-3 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and seven shutouts before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the AHL; Kahkonen also made his NHL debut with the Wild, going 3-1-1 in five games.

While Chabot pointed out tweaks, he didn't overhaul Kahkonen's technique.

"I just wanted him to be himself," Chabot said.

That's also how the two have approached this season now that Kahkonen is in the NHL full-time, filling out a tandem with Cam Talbot.

So, Kahkonen's performance isn't a revelation. He's playing now like he did in the minors and Finland. This is who he is.

"He has good hands," Chabot said. "He can catch. He can use his hands to make saves. He sees the puck well. He reads the game really well, too. So, he brought that over from Finland, and he also brought this work ethic. His work habits, his compete level, those were things he didn't have to change. He brings it every day, and that's what makes him a good pro."

What the two have worked on this year is Kahkonen's poise.

Early in the season, Chabot noticed the 24-year-old was trying too hard and that was making him appear small in the net.

After a COVID-19 outbreak suspended the season last month, the two used the practice days coming out of that break to refine that demeanor. And it's that composure that has headlined Kahkonen's tear, which has him one win shy of tying Darcy Kuemper's rookie win record for a single season (12 in 2013-14).

"Just trying to focus on being patient," said Kahkonen, who has a 1.62 goals-against average and .940 save percentage during his eight-game winning streak after making 24 saves Wednesday to hold off Vegas 4-3.

Movement like this, deliberate and economical, is certainly working for the Wild, which has ascended into contention for the top spot in the West Division during Kahkonen's reign.

But this efficiency has also validated Kahkonen, proving he belongs in the NHL just the way he is.

"Last year when he came he showed that he can play here," Chabot said. "Now he's showing that he can play here all the time."