Wild want 'difficult' decision in goal with Dubnyk, Stalock: report

Alex Stalock and Devan Dubnyk are expected to compete to be the starting goalie for the Minnesota Wild when they play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Qualifying Round.

"We expect our goaltenders both to be ready and have that opportunity to make that choice as a staff, and hopefully a very difficult one because they'll both be ready to go," Wild coach Dean Evason told the Star Tribune on Tuesday.

The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26, which will involve 24 teams competiting for the Stanley Cup. The tournament will begin with a 16-team, eight-series Qualifying Round and a Seeding Round Robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Stalock emerged as the Wild starter before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He played an NHL career-high 38 games (36 starts), going 20-11-4 with a 2.67 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and four shutouts. Dubnyk was 12-15-2 in 30 games (28 starts) with a 3.35 GAA, an .890 save percentage and one shutout.

After Evason replaced Bruce Boudreau as Wild coach on Feb. 14, Stalock started nine of their final 12 regular-season games and was 6-3-0 with a 2.46 GAA and .918 save percentage. Dubnyk started the other three, going 2-1-0 with a 3.49 GAA and an .872 save percentage.

"We like where our group was as far as how we felt about us being a team when we ended, so we anticipate that we should hopefully slide right back into being that way," Evason said.

Dubnyk's statistics were his worst since he joined the Wild during the 2014-15 season, The 34-year-old, who missed time in November and December while his wife, Jenn, dealt with a medical situation, said he thinks he's still capable of being a No. 1 goalie. He played at least 60 games in each of the previous four seasons

"I'm the same goalie that I've been for my entire career, and I certainly expect to be a starting goalie," Dubnyk said last month.

The Canucks expect to have starting goalie Jacob Markstrom back from a knee injury. Markstrom, whose .918 save percentage was fourth among NHL goalies to play at least 40 games, has said he is fully healed and ready to play if the season does resume. A start date and location for the best-of-5 series has not been announced.

"The goaltending [for Vancouver] is real good," Evason said. "Just a good solid group and well-coached. ... We're very evenly matched."

Minnesota won two of three games against Vancouver this season.

"They have a really good group up front, good offensive guys and a really good goaltender," Wild forward Zach Parise told TSN last week. "Their goalie made some really big saves against us, so I think that will be a challenge. Their [defensemen] are mobile and like to jump in the rush and attack with four players. We had some really good games against them and it should be a good matchup."