Rookie Jesper Wallstedt steps into the crease for the Wild, facing the Mammoth on the road. Can he extend his impressive road streak?
The Minnesota Wild (35-14-10) picked up a win on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9) to push its winning-streak to six games in a row.
Back in action tonight, the Wild are set to face the Utah Mammoth (30-24-4) on the road before returning home on Sunday.
Here is tonights goaltending matchup.
After a terrific outing on Thursday and one that was cut short by a minute due to puking, Filip Gustavsson will sit out tonight. Jesper Wallstedt to start.
Wallstedt, 23, is 14-5-4 on the year with a 2.76 goals-against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%) in 24 games this season and 23 starts.
The rookie goaltender is 7-2-3 with a 2.39 GAA, .919 SV% and two shutouts in 12 road starts this season. He has never faced Utah in his career.
Minnesota hosted Utah earlier this year in October. Gustvasson started that game against Karel Vejmelka who saved 33-of-35 shots faced to earn the win for Utah 6-2.
It will be Vejmelka again tonight. He is currently second in the NHL in wins behind Andrei Vasilevskiy with a 27-15-2 record. But, Vejmelka leads the NHL in games played with 45.
Tonight will mark Vejmelka's sixth start in a row, 12th in the last 13 games and 17th in Utah's last 19 games.
Vejmelka, 29, has a 2.61 GAA and a .901 SV% this season with two shutouts. He is 7-3-1 with a 2.53 GAA, .918 SV% and one shutout in 12 career games (11 starts) vs. Minnesota.
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.
