Boucher: Wild could turn to Wallstedt
- TNT analyst Brian Boucher suggested extra rest could help the Minnesota Wild as they try to avoid a 3-0 hole against Colorado. - Boucher said Minnesota is expected to consider Jesper Wallstedt in goal for Game 3 to change the series’ trajectory. - The goaltending switch and schedule break create a pivotal tactical moment in the Wild‑Avalanche second‑round matchup. (nhl.com)
Minnesota’s series against Colorado has turned into a goaltending question fast. The Wild are down 2-0, they’ve allowed 14 goals in two games, and now the biggest decision before Game 3 on Saturday, May 9, is whether to hand the crease back to Jesper Wallstedt. Brian Boucher said on TNT that he expects exactly that. And honestly, the logic is pretty simple — if the first two buttons you pushed both failed, you stop pretending the panel is working and pick the option with the most upside. (nhl.com) Why is Wallstedt even back in this conversation? Because Minnesota already tried the switch once. Wallstedt started the first seven playoff games, including the entire first-round series against Dallas, then got pulled from the spotlight after allowing eight goals on 42 shots in the 9-6 Game 1 loss. John Hynes went to Filip Gustavsson for Game 2, but that didn’t settle anything — Gustavsson gave up four goals on 22 shots in a 5-2 loss. So now the Wild have used both goalies in this series and neither result changed the feel of it. (nhl.com) Why would Boucher prefer the rookie? Basically, because the series is already tilting hard and Minnesota needs more than “steady.” Boucher said he didn’t agree with starting Gustavsson in Game 2 and pointed to the 2018 Capitals, who flipped from Philipp Grubauer to Braden Holtby and changed their playoff run. That doesn’t mean Wallstedt becomes Holtby overnight. It means once a series starts slipping, coaches sometimes stop chasing the safer resume and go with the goalie who might give the room a jolt. (nhl.com) Why does the extra rest matter so much? The Wild got three full days between Games 2 and 3, and Boucher’s point was that this helps more than just the goalie call. Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber have been carrying huge minutes — 28:32 and 27:01 on average through the first two games. Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek have both missed the start of the round with lower-body injuries, and their absences have forced Minnesota into heavier defensive workloads and less lineup balance. The break gives the Wild a chance to breathe, practice, and maybe get one of those pieces back. (nhl.com) What’s actually gone wrong on the ice? Special teams, for one. Colorado went 2-for-5 on the power play in Game 2, and Minnesota’s playoff penalty kill had dropped to 59.4% heading into this break. That is a brutal number in a series against Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and a power play that doesn’t need many clean looks. The Avalanche have also scored more than four goals in four straight playoff games, so this is not just a one-night defensive mess. It’s a pattern. (espn.com) Is Wallstedt really built for this spot? More than the Game 1 box score suggests. He’s 23, he posted a.916 save percentage in 35 regular-season games, and he already helped Minnesota beat Colorado during the season, including a 39-save shootout win in November. The catch is that playoff pressure against this Avalanche attack is a different animal. But if the Wild are looking for a reason to believe the ceiling is higher than what they just saw, Wallstedt is still the best argument they have. (nhl.com) What makes Game 3 feel so decisive? Colorado is 6-0 in these playoffs, Minnesota has only one franchise comeback from an 0-2 deficit, and a loss at home would push the Wild to the edge of a sweep. So this is not really about a tidy goalie debate anymore. It’s about whether Minnesota can make the series weird again. Starting Wallstedt would be one way to try. (espn.com)
