ANAHEIM, Calif. – Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen left his net to coral the puck but instead of retrieving it, the puck took a funky hop off the boards and rolled toward the Wild goal where it managed to escape the crease without getting pounced on by any Anaheim players.
"I got a couple of bounces my way tonight, which is nice," Kahkonen said.
Overall, though, Kahkonen's recent success has been his own handiwork.
After another steady showing, this one a 26-save outing Saturday in the 5-1 rout of the Ducks at Honda Center, Kahkonen continued a strong rookie season under mostly unexpected circumstances.
"I felt good," he said.
This was Kahkonen's third straight start, as he's handled every game since the Wild has returned from a COVID-19 shutdown that sidelined No.1 Cam Talbot and paved the way for Kahkonen to take over for the time being.
Kahkonen also replaced Talbot earlier this season when Talbot was out with a lower-body injury.
Although he and the Wild fell 4-0 in their first game back, Kahkonen has been mostly airtight ever since – stopping 42 of 44 shots.