Wild goalie Cam Talbot left the home opener Friday with injury, and he won't be back in action Sunday for the rematch with the Sharks at Xcel Energy Center.
Talbot is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Kaapo Kahkonen will start for the Wild, and Andrew Hammond will serve as the team's backup. Hammond has been with the Wild since the start of the season as part of the team's taxi squad.
Kahkonen replaced Talbot Friday for the start of the second period after Talbot had trouble following a save late in the first period. Talbot played the rest of the period but was unable to stay in the game after that.
In relief, Kahkonen was perfect – stopping all 17 shots sent his way to backstop the Wild to a 4-1 win and continue the team's steady play between the pipes.
Winger Nico Sturm (illness) is also day-to-day, so the Wild will stick with the same lineup in front of Kahkonen that it used Friday. That means defenseman Brad Hunt will again suit up on the fourth line, a versatility the Wild has occasionally used throughout Hunt's tenure with the team.
"We felt very comfortable playing seven 'D' and doubling up somebody in that position if we didn't feel Huntsy was comfortable there," coach Dean Evason said. "But he's played up there before, last year, and played extremely well. And to be honest with you, we were going to start doubling [Friday], and he was playing so good. I know he didn't get a whole lot of ice, but he was doing all the right things."
Projected lineup:
Zach Parise-Nick Bjugstad-Kirill Kaprizov
Marcus Johansson-Nick Bonino-Kevin Fiala
Jordan Greenway-Joel Eriksson Ek-Marcus Foligno
Brad Hunt-Victor Rask-Ryan Hartman
Ryan Suter-Matt Dumba
Jonas Brodin-Jared Spurgeon
Ian Cole-Carson Soucy
Kaapo Kahkonen
Key numbers:
4-1: Start to the season is the Wild's best since the team went 4-0-1 in 2008-09.
.951: Save percentage for Kahkonen in two wins.
4: Points for center Joel Eriksson Ek in the last two games.
1: Goal for wingers Zach Parise and Kevin Fiala on Friday, their first tallies of the season.
11: Points for the Wild blue line through five games.
About the Sharks:
San Jose fell to 2-3 after losing 4-1 to the Wild on Friday. Winger Matt Nieto scored the team's only goal, a shot up the middle in the first period. The Sharks missed on three power plays. On the back end, Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns continue to eat up minutes; Karlsson (28 minutes, 43 seconds) and Burns (28:14) are first and third, respectively, in average ice time in the NHL. Martin Jones will get the start in net on Sunday.
