Coming into the 2025-26 NHL season, the Minnesota Wild were clearly full of potential, and after they added Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster trade, their ceiling went from a very good team to a genuine Stanley Cup contender.
They were then matched up with the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while almost every game was tight and competitive, it was the Wild that came out on top in six games. In their four wins, goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed just 7 total goals, with the team once again relying on their superstar tandem that led them to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference this season.
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Then, the Colorado Avalanche happened, and in Game 1, the Wild were blown away in a barn burner, with starting goaltender Wallstedt allowing a total of 8 goals on 42 shots. After starting all 7 games for the Wild thus far in the post-season, Head Coach John Hynes has now confirmed a change, announcing that Filip Gustavsson will see his first start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season after the wild 9-6 game that began this series.
During the regular season, Gustavsson appeared in 50 games for Minnesota, posting an impressive 2.69 GAA and a .904 save percentage in that time, but after Wallstedt’s red-hot start to the post-season, he became the assumed starter.
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Game 2 as a result will play a major role in how the Wild approach the rest of the post-season, and if Gustavsson struggles the way that Wallstedt did in their first game against Colorado, the team will be behind the 8-ball with some major questions to answer.
Related: Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek Injury News Emerges Before Round 2 vs. Avalanche
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.