Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup (11-7-25)
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) travel to face the New York Islanders (6-5-2) tonight. The starting goaltenders are set for this game.
Minnesota Wild Goaltender
Jesper Wallstedt, 23, is expected to start after Filip Gustavsson, who played five consecutive games including yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit. Wallstedt's season record is 1-0-2 with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage in ten games.
In his NHL career, Wallstedt is 3-3-2 with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage. He has never faced the Islanders before, neither this season nor in previous years.
New York Islanders Goaltender
The Islanders begin a back-to-back series tonight, with David Rittich confirmed as the starter by head coach Patrick Roy. Ilya Sorokin will start on Saturday.
Rittich, 33, carries a 3-1-0 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in four games this season. He did not play against the Wild last year with the Islanders.
Throughout his career, Rittich has excelled against the Wild, holding a 5-0-1 record with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, including one shutout in six starts.
“David Rittich has had a lot of success against the Wild in his career with one shutout in six starts.”
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Author's summary: Jesper Wallstedt starts for the Wild facing Islanders’ David Rittich, who boasts a strong career record against Minnesota, setting the stage for an exciting goaltending duel.