Jesper Wallstedt faces Michael DiPietro in a rare goaltending showdown as the Wild host their home opener against a Boston team missing key stars to injury and suspension.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild (1-0-0) is back in action for Saturday night's home opener against the Boston Bruins (2-0-0).
Tonight will mark the Bruins' third time this year that they will sit through home opener introductions.
The Wild will participate in the introductions for the first time in many years.
Minnesota is 20-11-5 all time against the Bruins and 10-5-3 in Minnesota. They went 1-1-0 against Boston last year. Filip Gustavsson started both of those games. Jesper Wallstedt has never faced the Bruins in his career but will get the start tonight.
For the Bruins, it will be Mike Dipietro. Who will make his first start since Jan. 22, 2022 and just his third ever start. He has played one game for the Bruins in his career and stopped two shots of the two shots he faced in relief.
The 27-year-old netminder is 0-2-0 in four career games with a 5.01 goals-against average and a .780 save percentage.
Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins beat the Winnipeg Jets in overtime last night, so that is why DiPietro will get the start.
No changes for the Wild tonight. Here are tonight's lines.
Wild Projected Lineup:
Blake Coleman - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy
Kirill Kaprizov - Danila Yurov - Maxim Shabanov
Yakov Trenin - Ryan Hartman - Bobby Brink
Marcus Foligno - Michael McCarron - Nick Foligno
Defense:
Quinn Hughes - Jared Spurgeon
Olli Maatta - Jonas Brodin
Daemon Hunt - Zach Bogosian
Starting Goaltender: Jesper Wallstedt
Scratched: Nico Sturm, David Spacek.
Injured: Filip Gustavsson, (Hip, Month-To-Month), Brock Faber (Head, Indefinitely).
Bruins Projected Lineup:
JJ Peterka - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt - Pavel Zacha - Morgan Geekie
James Hagens - Fraser Minten - Marat Khusnutdinov
Tanner Jeannot - Sean Kuraly - Mark Kastelic
Defense:
Hampus Lindholm - Will Borgen
Nikita Zadorov - Connor Clifton
Jonathan Aspirot - Mason Lohrei
Starting Goaltender: Michael DiPietro
Scratched: Michael Eyssimont, Frederic Brunet.
Injured: Matthew Poitras (lower body), Charlie McAvoy (suspended).
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