Faber added that Wallstedt held the fort when the Jets barnstormed Minnesota out of the starting gate.
“I thought maybe we didn’t get off to the start that we wanted,” Wallstedt said. “I felt we were, at the moment, defending really well, even though we got stuck in our own zone for a couple minutes and they get some pressure. We were still calm and collected and stuck to our gameplan and, after a while, we started to step up and play our game again.”
Wallstedt credited his teammates for his success.
“Everyone had a lot of blocked shots,” he said. “They’re sacrificing themselves too, getting in front of the puck, so obviously, when they maybe make a mistake or a puck bounces, I’m there to bail them out. We’re a team, we work together, and I felt like we are having a really good connection right now.
“The way our team has sacrificed themselves, I feel like we’re one of the teams that blocks the most shots. We try to get in front of every puck. They take away sticks and everything. And boxing out, so I can focus on my job. I feel like pucks have been getting stuck in me and hopefully, I show some calmness back there, that I can show that they can trust me.”
The Wild (12-7-4) have not lost in their last eight outings and have not allowed a goal in their last two games.
“We’ve gotten excellent goaltending,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “I think both those guys have deserved the shoutouts, but I think, from a defensive standpoint, we’re committed in that area. So, I think being strong defensively, combined with excellent goaltending, is a good recipe for that.”
Kirill Kaprizov, who extended his point streak to five games, and Danila Yurov also scored for Minnesota.
Winnipeg dropped to 12-9-0 after going 1-2 on its homestand and is trending the wrong way as it embarks on a five-game road trip.
“We still have a long way to go,” said defenceman Dylan DeMelo. “It’s more of the process, and I think that’s our concern as a team. I don’t think we are playing the way we want to play. Result? Take that out of the equation.
“We aren’t even close to where we need to be to be a successful team when it really matters down the road. We’ve shown it in flashes, but it hasn’t been consistent. We need to find that consistency, but we are only a quarter of the way into the season here.”
The Jets lost defenceman Neal Pionk to a lower-body injury midway through the first period.
“We’ve been hammered (by injuries) and we got hammered again tonight,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “Consistency, whether that’s period to period or game to game, has been something that I’d say in this first 21 (games) has been lacking.”
The loss spoiled Mark Scheifele’s 900th NHL game, the most in franchise history.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2025.
Jim Bender, The Canadian Press