The Minnesota Wild rested Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman, Mats Zuccarello, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy and Marcus Foligno on April 13 and still went into a game against the St. Louis Blues with plenty on the line. The Wild, 45-23-12, had two games left before opening the first round in Dallas, and the next night they were back on the schedule again.
Filip Gustavsson got the start in goal for Minnesota. He entered at 28-14-6 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a.906 save percentage in 49 games, but the late stretch was uneven: he was 2-3-0 over his previous five appearances and had allowed four or more goals in four of those five. Against St. Louis, though, his numbers had been far better. Gustavsson was 1-1-0 with a 1.01 goals-against average, a.959 save percentage and one shutout in two games against the Blues that season, and 5-3-0 with a 2.29 goals-against average, a.918 save percentage and one shutout in nine career starts against them.
Joel Hofer was in net for St. Louis. He came in at 22-13-5 with a 2.59 goals-against average, a.911 save percentage and six shutouts, and had already beaten Minnesota once this season by stopping 22 of 23 shots in the second matchup between the teams. He also had a strong track record against the Wild, going 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a.951 save percentage in two career starts.
The game fit into a larger management decision for Minnesota, which was already beginning to protect key pieces as the playoffs approached. It also added pressure to the goaltending picture. Gustavsson’s late-season slide and Jesper Wallstedt’s push had made the Wild’s Game 1 starter against Dallas less obvious, and this matchup against the Blues was one more test before that choice had to be made.
With one playoff tune-up left after this, Minnesota was not just getting through the schedule. It was trying to decide which goalie it trusted most when round one in Dallas arrived.
