Rookie netminder Jesper Wallstedt faces Columbus, boasting a league-leading 1.95 GAA. Can he outduel the Blue Jackets' Jet Greaves in this emerging rookie goaltending battle?
The Minnesota Wild (20-9-5) is back in action tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-13-6) for a 6:00 p.m. game.
Minnesota made a few roster moves before the game and it will be Carson Lambos' first NHL game as a result of those moves.
Here are tonights starting goaltenders.
Jesper Wallstedt will be back in the net tonight for Minnesota after Filip Gustavsson started the last two games.
Wallstedt, 23, is 9-1-2 on the season with a league-leading 1.95 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage in 12 starts this year. He also leads the league in shutouts with four.
Gustvasson started the game earlier this year against Columbus and has good career numbers against the Blue Jackets but it will be the rookie tonight against the former Wild head coach Dean Evason's Jackets.
Jet Greaves will man the crease for the Jackets. He is 8-8-5 on the year with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 21 games.
Elvis Merzlikins is 3-1-2 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in six career starts vs. Minnesota but has a 4.03 goals-against average this season so he will not be starting tonight.
It will be the battle of the rookies instead.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
