Gustavsson reveals how Hughes’ "swagger" fuels the Wild's relentless offensive pressure and unwavering belief, transforming game dynamics from the crease.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — From the crease, the game looks different than it does anywhere else. For Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, that perspective has shifted noticeably since Quinn Hughes joined the Minnesota Wild.
“Yeah, right now it feels like that,” Gustavsson said. “When Quinn came in, we got a little bit more swagger, and we’re building on it.”
That swagger, Gustavsson explained, isn’t just about confidence. It’s about possession, pressure and the belief that the Wild are rarely out of a game.
“Yeah of course,” Gustavsson said when asked about confidence. “We just keep creating chances and know we’re gonna score, usually three or more goals every night. And that’s why you don’t quit, even if you go up or down there three, ”
For a goalie, extended offensive-zone time can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it limits shots against. On the other, it can leave a netminder standing still for long stretches, forced to stay mentally sharp while barely seeing the puck.
“Well, for me, it didn’t feel like a pleasant game,” Gustavsson said of a recent night. “Barely anything to do. You just stand there freezing a little bit.”
That lack of rhythm can make isolated chances feel magnified, especially when mistakes sneak through.
“Sucks to give up that third goal,” Gustavsson said. “You try to do something good, and you open up and it trickles in.”
Still, Gustavsson said the benefit of playing behind a team that controls the puck outweighs the challenges. Especially with Hughes and Faber on the ice.
The Wild’s ability to generate offense from the blue line has changed the texture of games, often tilting them back in Minnesota’s favor even after mistakes.
“You know with this team you’re never out of it,” he said. “We just create more chances.”
The offensive push, however, has altered the types of chances Gustavsson faces.
With defensemen activating and the Wild spending more time in the offensive zone, breakdowns tend to come in transition rather.
I asked Gustavsson about if his game changes when Hughes and Faber are on the ice.
“Well, yes and no. I guess we have the puck more and usually more in the offensive zone side do less. But then you know, we giving up a few different chances than before when we’re spending a lot of time in the o-zone.”
Those chances, Gustavsson explained, often arrive suddenly.
“And then we try and make plays you know if hits a stick or something and they come on a 2-on-1 or 3-on-2,” he said. “So those are the type of chance we get more against us now and have to work on.”
Even so, Gustavsson said the overall tradeoff has been positive. Minnesota leads the NHL in goals since the Hughes trade.
The Wild’s ability to generate offense consistently has created a margin that didn’t always exist earlier in the season.
“We had a couple of ugly games and now recently we still came out of it with four points and full score,” Gustavsson said. “If we can get points when we’re playing bad and now we stuck with it today, we’re doing just fine.”
That cushion has changed how Gustavsson approaches games mentally, particularly late.
“That’s why you don’t quit,” he said. “Even if you go up or down.”
From the crease, the Wild’s evolution hasn’t just been about scoring more goals. It’s been about changing how games feel. A belief that momentum can always swing back.
For Gustavsson, that belief has made all the difference.
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