Wild Vs Islanders: Starting Goaltending Matchup
The Minnesota Wild (5-7-3) will face the New York Islanders (6-5-2) on the road tonight. The game features a goaltending matchup between rookie Jesper Wallstedt for the Wild and veteran David Rittich for the Islanders.
Minnesota Wild Goaltender
Jesper Wallstedt, 23, is expected to start after Filip Gustavsson, who has made five consecutive starts, will sit out tonight. Wallstedt has appeared in ten games this season, holding a 1-0-2 record with a 3.38 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage. Although Wallstedt has never faced the Islanders before, his NHL career record stands at 3-3-2 with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.
New York Islanders Goaltender
The Islanders are playing the first game of a back-to-back series. Head coach Patrick Roy announced David Rittich will start tonight, with Ilya Sorokin scheduled to start Saturday. Rittich, 33, is 3-1-0 this season in four games, posting a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. While he did not play against the Wild last year, Rittich has been especially effective against them historically.
Rittich's career record against the Wild is 5-0-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and one shutout in six starts.
For more in-depth coverage, including access to the full magazine archive and free issues, subscribe to The Hockey News.
Summary
This game features a promising rookie goaltender facing a seasoned veteran with a strong track record against his opponent, setting the stage for an intriguing matchup.
Would you like the HTML code to include any specific styles or additional structural elements?