Dallas ruins NHL debut for Wild goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt
Dallas Wild goaltender Jesper Walstedt had a rocky debut in the NHL.
Wallstedt stopped 26 of 33 shots as Minnesota fell to 3-9 against teams in the Western Conference postseason bracket.
NHL: Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt and Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski look for the puck in the Wild zone in the second period Wednesday at American Airlines Center.
It’s too early for an NHL team to be doomed, especially when the team is five points out of the conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, as the Minnesota Wild were Wednesday morning. The Wild, on the other hand, are buried last in the Western Conference, 13 of 16 teams less than halfway through the season. After Wednesday night’s 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, they are 1-6-0 in their last seven games. Minnesota wants more coverage:
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Joe Pavelski, Matt Duchene, Roop Hintz and Jason Robertson scored on odd rebounds as the Stars won the season series against their Central Division rivals 3-0 and spoiled Wild goaltender Jesper Walstedt’s NHL debut.
Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman scored third-period goals for Minnesota, but it fell to 3-9 in a tough season against eight Western Conference teams currently in the playoffs. After defeating the Wild in the first round of the playoffs last season, the Stars have won all three meetings with Minnesota and outscored the Wild by a combined score of 19-6.
Walstedt, who was called up to the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wilds last Sunday, stopped 27 of 34 shots but didn’t get much help from his teammates, who missed regulation time in the Dallas area and suffered surprising complications. . There is a cycle between the blue lines. Scott Wedgwood made 17 saves for the Stars, who have been without Lakeville’s No. 1 goaltender Jake Ottinger since mid-December, two days after Dallas rookie Matt Murray shut out Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center.
Pavelski started the game on a 2-on-1 with Robertson, intercepting Mats Chucarello’s cross-ice pass behind the red line, then beat Wallstedt with a wrist shot from the right circle into the top corner to make 1-0. It starts at 16:45. Wallstedt, who turned 21 in November, becomes the 150th NHL goaltender of the 39-year-old Pavelski’s 20-year career.
Duchene made it 2-0 early in the second period after Ryan Suter hit a deep layup from the blue line. The puck left the near post, crossed Walstedt’s right path and landed in the slot where Duchene was waiting for the rebound. He passed Walstedt at 4:28. Hintz scored late in the second period to end a tight game as the Wild went 4-for-4.
Immediately after Hintz’s goal, Minnesota defender Brock Farber secured a rebound and shot over the crossbar behind Wedgewood, but the ball went out rather than in. Shortly after, after Wild quarterback Dakota Mermis’ shot was blocked, the Stars rallied and Hintz scored on a 2-on-1 with Jason Marchmont.
After scoring the goal, Faber, who was watching from the bench, broke his stick in discomfort. Boldy challenged Wedgwood by scoring on Faber’s shot with 4 minutes, 22 seconds left in the third period, but Robertson gave up 4 points, 2-1. -1 Just 3 minutes and 17 seconds later, Nils Lundqvist made it 5-1 at 9:26.
Hartman scored on a wild power play with 8:57 left and Tyler Seguin capped a long layup with a wrist shot from the right circle to make it 6-2 with 3:50 left. Former Wild forward Sam Steele also scored from the right wing with 1:43 remaining. It was the fourth time this season the Wild have given up at least seven goals in a game and just the second time against Dallas in an 8-2 win over Minnesota in November. 12.
