![\"Jesper](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NHL-Stanley-Cup-Playoffs-Minnesota-Wild-at-Dallas-Stars-28763142-scaled-e1776642579827.jpg\")
Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon to the decisive tune of 6-1, a defeat the Stars don\u2019t seem overly perturbed by<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the Wild have an opportunity on Monday to put a boot on the throat of their division rival, before this series even makes it back to the State of Hockey.<\/p>\n And if they are going to go up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time in franchise history, the MN Wild will need another outstanding performance from rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who stopped 27 of Dallas\u2019 28 shots<\/a> on goal Saturday and made it very clear to Mikko Rantanen that there will be no shenanigans in front of his net.<\/p>\n AND A SAVE BY WALLSTEDT#EasyToCelebrate<\/a> | @budlight<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/H8qvFW2F16<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 x \u2013 Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 18, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Jesper Wallstedt gave Mikko Rantanen a shot after he got bumped by him \ud83e\udee3 pic.twitter.com\/obTnF3w5zR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 18, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n It was the exact type of performance Bill Guerin and John Hynes envisioned when they decided to start<\/a> the 23-year-old former first round pick<\/a> (with ZERO postseason experience) over their regular season starter, Filip Gustavsson (11 playoff starts<\/a>).<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild chose Jesper Wallstedt last minute amid locker room tension\u2026<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t an easy decision, however, and not one Minnesota Wild brass took lightly. In fact, Michael Russo (The Athletic)<\/a> revealed on Sunday during an interview with KFAN<\/a> that the Wild indeed were planning to start Gustavsson in game one, until Hynes and Guerin changed their minds at the last minute.<\/p>\n Even more interesting, Russo reports that the Wild\u2019s shift in thinking came, at least in part due to Gustavsson\u2019s excuses with media after his previous two poor performances, even mentioning a \u201ctension\u201d in the locker room after Minnesota\u2019s 5-4 regular season loss<\/a> in Dallas back on April 9 (listen below around the 1:09:00 mark).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe last [regular season game in Dallas], I thought there was a lot of tension in [the locker room] after that game because they knew how well they played. They scored three power play goals, [and] they lost a game, giving up five [goals] in a game that they clearly deserved to win. That, I thought, created a tension in there, and I think the Wild recognized that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know they were going with Gus. Like, I know it. I\u2019m not just [saying it]. So something changed in the last couple of days, and I just think I think there was a combination of the really disconcerting stuff that that Gustavsson was saying after both his last two losses, the one in Dallas and the one in Saint Louis.<\/p>\n I think it had to do with his body language in net, and I think it had to do with just the body language that Wallstedt had in net. Like he just has this swagger about him right now, and body of work means nothing if you\u2019re not playing well at the time. And one was playing poorly and one wasn\u2019t, and they went with the guy that they I think thought the players would really rally around, and they certainly did yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Russo on KFAN Radio<\/a><\/p>\n More Wild vs Stars: Top NHL Writer Urges Stars to Wake Up vs MN Wild\u2026 or Else<\/a><\/p>\n Hynes was asked after the game if he plans on going with Wallstedt again in game two, a question he and Russo were both surprised by, at the time. Of course the Minnesota Wild are going with the kid again on Monday night.<\/p>\n Because a win tomorrow would give them a chance to actually end the series back in St. Paul. But first, Jesper and all the stars playing in front of him must go back into American Airlines Center<\/a> and steal their second road victory in two tries.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Dallas Stars<\/a> Filip Gustavsson<\/a> Jesper Wallstedt<\/a> NHL Playoffs<\/a> <\/p>\n More About:Minnesota Wild<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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