The Wild gave their No. 1 prospect zero help as the Stars stomped Wallstedt and the Wild 7-2.
The Wild gave their No. 1 prospect zero help as the Stars stomped Wallstedt and the Wild 7-2.Injuries are tough. It's hard to lose key players but it shouldn't be an excuse. Just about two weeks ago the Wild were about to play the Winnipeg Jets for a home-and-home with four crucial points on the line. If the Wild were to win both those games they would have been tied with the Jets in the standings.
The Wild lost both of those games and have lost six of their last seven to put them now 20 points behind the Jets with playoff hopes almost behind them. The Wild are 17-19-4 now and are five points behind the Edmonton Oilers who hold onto the last wild card spot in the West. The Oilers have also played three fewer games than the Wild.
Marc-Andre Fleury has played in six straight games after Filip Gustavsson went to the Injured Reserve with a lower-body injury. There's no doubt he likely needed a game off, especially with a back-to-back coming up this weekend.
But was Jesper Wallstedt the right choice to start against the Stars tonight? The recently turned 21-year-old hasn't even played a season and a half at the AHL level since he was drafted by the Wild in 2021 with the 20th overall pick.
The Stars have scored 12 goals to the Wild's three in the previous two meetings between the Central Division Rivials this season. With Fleury getting the night off, Wallstedt might have given the Wild the best chance to win tonight instead of Zane McIntyre but with the way the Wild played, it's hard to imagine any goalie could've stole this game for the Wild.
In the second period alone the Wild had three shots and went almost 13 minutes without recording a single shot. Last game against the Stars the Wild only had two shots in the third period.
It's tough to play a red-hot Stars team without a couple of your star players like Kirill Kaprizov, Jonas Brodin, and Jared Spurgeon let alone having two guys playing who were game-time decisions before due to sickness but again it shouldn't be an excuse.
Minnesota has scored three 5-on-5 goals in their last five games and have lost four of them. In those five games, they have allowed 21 goals and have scored only 8 with four of them coming in one game.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Wild have allowed 9.16 expected goals at 5v5 in their last five and put up 7.19. They have allowed 42 High Danger Chances and only recorded 32 themselves. Lastly, they have allowed 117 scoring chances against and only generated 80 themselves all at 5v5.
Tonight's seven goals against shouldn't all fall on Wallstedt's shoulders. In fact, it's almost concerning how they played as a team rather than the goaltender's performance.
5v5 Offensive zone Unblocked shots heat map. Credit: Natural Stat Trick.As you can see from the image above, three of the Stars' 5v5 goals were scored in high-danger spots, and a lot of their shots came in the same area. Whereas the Wild's 5v5 chances were almost all perimeter shots.
On the first Stars goal, Mats Zuccarello turned the puck over in the neutral zone which led to a 2-on-1 the other way for Dallas.
On the third Stars goal, a 1-on-1 turned into a breakaway for Roope Hintz after the Wild hit the post just seconds before.
The fourth Stars goal was yet again another 2-on-1 with one of the best shooters in the league coming in on a rookie goalie making his NHL debut and the seventh goal came after Sam Steel was left unprotected on the goal line.
None of this should be used as an excuse but rather a reason to prove this game shouldn't all fall on Wallstedt's shoulders. Sure sometimes in games like this, you need your goalie to save a few that maybe should go in but that's hard to expect out of a goalie making his NHL debut.
The last thing the Wild want to happen to their prized goalie prospect is for him to lose all confidence after giving up seven in one game so you would hope the next time he is in net for the Wild, likely this weekend, they will play much better.
This isn't the end for Wallstedt. It's the first step of his long career that is ahead of him despite the sour taste of allowing seven in one game. If anything this should be a sign that the youngster may need more time in the American Hockey League before he's ready for more NHL games.