Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) will play on the road against the New York Islanders (6-5-2) tonight. The game features a key goaltending matchup between rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild and veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.
Minnesota Wild Goaltending
Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start after Filip Gustavsson, who made five consecutive starts and played in yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit out tonight. Wallstedt is 1-0-2 this season with a 3.38 goals-against average (GAA) and a .863 save percentage in ten games.
Wallstedt, 23, has never faced the Islanders before, either this season or in his career. Overall, he holds a 3-3-2 record in the NHL with a 3.34 GAA and .863 save percentage.
New York Islanders Goaltending
The Islanders are playing the first game of a back-to-back series. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled to start on Saturday.
Rittich, 33, is 3-1-0 in four games this season, posting a 3.01 GAA and a .902 save percentage. He did not face the Wild last year.
However, Rittich has been highly effective against Minnesota in his career, compiling a 5-0-1 record with a 2.11 GAA and a .935 save percentage across six starts. He also has one shutout against the Wild.
"David Rittich has had a lot of success against the Wild in his career. He is 5-0-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage."
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Author's summary: Tonight's game features rookie Wallstedt starting for the Wild, while veteran Rittich faces them for the Islanders, with a strong career edge over Minnesota.