- Filip Gustavsson gets his first start of the 2026 playoffs in Game 2 at Ball Arena
- Hynes made the call after Jesper Wallstedt allowed 8 goals on 42 shots in Game 1’s 9-6 loss
- Read below for the full story plus video of how Sunday’s chaos played out in Denver
The Wild are flipping the script in net for Game 2.
Filip Gustavsson will start Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, head coach John Hynes confirmed after morning skate. It’s Gustavsson’s first appearance of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The switch follows a brutal Sunday for Jesper Wallstedt, who got tagged for eight goals on 42 shots in a chaotic 9-6 Game 1 loss to Colorado.
The 23-year-old rookie had carried Minnesota’s net through the first round against Dallas, going 4-3 with a 2.81 GAA and .903 save percentage in his first seven playoff starts. Hynes pointed to that workload and the quick turnaround into Denver as part of the equation.
Hynes laid out his thinking after the morning skate:
“Every time you make a decision, you take a lot of things into account. We’ve had two very good goalies all year long and ‘Gus’ has played a lot of good hockey for us.”
If you missed the madness, the video tells the story:
Gustavsson hasn’t played since April 13, when he allowed five goals on 21 shots in a 6-3 loss to St. Louis. He finished the regular season 28-15-6 with a 2.69 GAA, .904 save percentage, and four shutouts in 50 starts.
Hynes added that Gustavsson has handled his time on the bench like a pro and is hungry to get back into action:
Game 2 puck drops at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Wild need a steadier showing in the crease before this series shifts back to St. Paul.
