(11-7-25) Wild Vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup

Wild vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup

The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) face the New York Islanders (6-5-2) on the road tonight. The projected goaltending matchup features rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild and veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.

Minnesota Wild Goaltender

Filip Gustavsson, after starting five consecutive games and playing in yesterday's loss to Carolina, will sit out tonight. Jesper Wallstedt, 23, is expected to start. He holds a 1-0-2 record this season, with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage over ten games.

Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders in his career. Overall, he has a 3-3-2 career NHL record, with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.

New York Islanders Goaltender

The Islanders start the first game of a back-to-back series tonight. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled for Saturday.

Rittich, 33, has a 3-1-0 record in four games this season, posting a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Although he did not play against the Wild last year, Rittich has a strong career record against them.

"He is 5-0-1 against the Wild with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, including one shutout in six career starts."

Additional Information

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Stay updated with the latest news by subscribing to their newsletter.

Author's summary: Tonight's matchup highlights a young Wild goalie facing a veteran Islanders netminder with a strong career record against Minnesota, setting the stage for an intriguing goaltending duel.

more

The Hockey News The Hockey News — 2025-11-07

More News