Wallstedt sparkles for Wild in Game 1 win against Stars

DALLAS -- Jesper Wallstedt may have looked like he was at ease as he strolled into American Airlines Center on Saturday and geared up for his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. 

Looks, in this case, were without a doubt deceiving.

"No, I was definitely nervous," the Minnesota Wild's 23-year-old rookie goalie said. "I think it just shows that it means something to you."

This opportunity to start Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Dallas Stars meant everything to Wallstedt. 

He said he was surprised he got it over Filip Gustavsson even though he has enough confidence and swagger to know he earned it. And then he made it count.

Wallstedt stopped 27 of 28 shots he faced, the puck often sticking to him as he kept his rebounds to a minimum and his crease calm, doing his part in Minnesota's 6-1 win.

Game 2 of the best-of-7 series is here Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).

"I think when I play my best I kind of just see up until the top of the boards and then you don't focus on anything else, and then it just looks like the same ice and the same boards in every rink in every game," Wallstedt said. "I tried to keep telling myself this is the same game I've played since I was 6 and there's nothing different to it. It felt pretty good, obviously. In the beginning you're taking it all in and then you just try to dial your eyes into the ice."

Wallstedt was the better of Minnesota's two goalies down the stretch of the regular season, posting a 2.37 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 12 games (10 starts) after the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Gustavsson had a 2.82 GAA and .895 percentage in 14 starts.

Nevertheless, until Wild coach John Hynes said on Friday that Wallstedt was getting the start, it felt like it would be Gustavsson, considering he has playoff experience (11 games) and he played more than Wallstedt throughout the season, including coming out of the Olympic break. 

But Hynes referenced personality as part of the checklist of items he and his coaching staff went through before landing on Wallstedt as the Game 1 starter.

Now we know why.

"He's a very confident kid," Hynes said.

Case in point: the saves Wallstedt made late in the second period in the seconds and minutes after Jason Robertson beat him with a backhand from below the left face-off circle for a power-play goal that cut Minnesota's lead to 4-1 with 4:50 remaining.

That's when Wallstedt delivered the type of moxie-filled saves that emboldened Hynes' decision to go with him and ended any debate about who is Minnesota's best option in net right now.

Wallstedt first stopped Jamie Benn's point-blank shot from between the circles at 15:47, just 37 seconds after Robertson scored.

The chance came directly off a Wild defensive-zone turnover. A goal there and all of a sudden the Stars, and the building, have plenty of energy to spark a comeback.

"At that point I thought we chucked some pucks and didn't really stick to our game," Wild forward Mats Zuccarello said. "He came up huge there."

Then, about a minute and a half later, with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen bearing down on him on a 2-on-1 with Quinn Hughes back, Wallstedt flashed just enough leather to get a piece of Johnston's shot at 17:23, sending the puck high and wide of the cage and into the corner.

"My read was that he was looking to shoot and I was just trying to take away as much space as possible," Wallstedt said. "I liked my poise and tried to just wait it out to make sure he made the first move. He shot it on my glove there and it went down in the corner."

Hynes said those saves reminded him of the type Wallstedt was making late in the regular season, the saves that likely earned him the Game 1 start.

"You know, there's going to be times obviously throughout this series where there is going to be a breakdown, there is going to be a mistake, or there's going to be a great play made by a great player on their team and you're going to need a big time save at a key time," Hynes said. "We got that."

The Wild got pretty much everything they wanted and needed in Game 1.

Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice on the power play, including 5:35 into the game to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead, and had an assist. 

Kirill Kaprizov picked a corner for a goal and picked up two assists. 

Hughes (assist) danced and spun and high-stepped his way around the ice. 

Matt Boldy (two goals, assist), with his quick stick, was everywhere. 

Zuccarello (three assists) was dishing. Brock Faber was defending. Ryan Hartman (goal, assist) was driving to the net.

Kaprizov, Hartman and Boldy scored in the first 6:30 of the second period, quickly turning a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 lead. 

"The guys were focused and the thing I like is I thought we executed well," Hynes said. "When it was time to check we checked well. But I just thought we had the right mindset for how we need to play and that was throughout the lineup."

It was all backed by a nervous young goalie who quickly found his way.

"There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and a little bit extra when we were rolling into the game here," Wallstedt said. "But as soon as the national anthem is over and the first couple of pucks start coming, you kind of lose that."