Wild’s Defensive Structure Helping Jesper Wallstedt Thrive Early

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Predictability isn’t usually a word associated with good offense. For a goaltender, it can be exactly what he wants from the five players in front of him.

Through the Minnesota Wild’s first two games of the season, Jesper Wallstedt has benefited from a defensive structure designed to limit not only how many opportunities opponents generate, but where those opportunities come from when Minnesota does break down.

The results have followed.

The Wild have allowed just two goals during their 2-0-0 start, including one in their win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Even without Brock Faber anchoring the blue line, Minnesota has remained difficult to break down at five-on-five and on the penalty kill.

For Wallstedt, part of the early success comes from knowing what to expect from the players in front of him.

“I feel like we’re more predictable to each other, and guys kind of just read off of each other and feel off of each other what we’re supposed to do,” Wallstedt said. “It’s been working well thus far.”

That predictability becomes particularly important on the penalty kill.

A goaltender isn’t simply reacting to the puck in those situations. He’s reading the penalty killers in front of him, anticipating where a breakdown could occur and preparing for the most likely option that follows.

The more connected Minnesota’s four penalty killers are, the easier those reads can become for Wallstedt.

Wild coach John Hynes pointed to that relationship when discussing Wallstedt’s early work on the penalty kill.

“A lot of it, too, is understanding if there is a breakdown, where’s the shot going to come from,” Hynes said. “Like our 5-on-5 game, we’re trying to get our penalty kill more predictable, so if it’s an up and over and down, he knows if we get beat, this is the option I gotta be ready for.”

That doesn’t eliminate the need for saves. Boston still generated dangerous opportunities, particularly as it pushed late in the game, and Hynes acknowledged Wallstedt was called upon to make some important stops both at five-on-five and while Minnesota was shorthanded.

But there’s a difference between asking a goalie to bail out a scrambling defensive group and asking him to make a save when the structure has already narrowed down the possibilities.

Wallstedt has looked comfortable doing the latter.

“He’s been very solid,” Hynes said. “He’s been on top of his game, and he’s made big saves when he’s had to.”

The Wild’s penalty killers have helped by remaining aggressive rather than allowing opponents unlimited time to move the puck around the zone.

Wallstedt said Minnesota’s pressure has been able to force opposing power plays into decisions rather than allowing them to dictate play.

“I feel like we just have good pressure constantly on them,” Wallstedt said. “I feel like we force their mistakes, or we force them to make good plays to hopefully spots where we kind of know where they’re going, so we can pressure on that.”

It’s an approach that requires all four penalty killers and the goaltender to be reading the same play.

And that same connectivity has carried over to five-on-five.

Faber’s absence could have created a significant hole in that structure. Beyond his ability to move the puck and create offense, Faber’s defensive details directly affect the goaltender behind him.

Wallstedt specifically pointed to Faber’s ability to pick up sticks, establish inside positioning and box out opponents so the goaltender can track shots cleanly.

Those details aren’t easily replaced by one defenseman.

Instead, Wallstedt believes Minnesota’s entire blue line has absorbed some of the responsibility.

“I’ve really liked what the other guys have done these first two games,” Wallstedt said. “I think we look very solid in our D-zone, but I also feel like we’re carrying pucks up, we’re zipping it on the tape and we’re establishing O-zone time. So I like where our game is at.”

The early sample is still only two games. There will be nights when Minnesota’s structure breaks, opponents find seams and Wallstedt has to make saves without the benefit of knowing exactly where the next chance is coming from.

But the Wild aren’t trying to make their goaltender’s job easy by asking him to do less.

They’re trying to make it more predictable.

And through the first two games, Wallstedt and the five players in front of him have looked like they’re seeing the game the same way.

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