Wild Rookie Goalie Shines vs. Hurricanes

The Minnesota Wild (9-7-4) are currently riding a five-game point streak, a testament to their strong performance in November where they hold a .813 point percentage. They face a tough challenge tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes (13-5-1), who are leading the Metropolitan division and the Eastern Conference with a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. The Wild have a recent historical advantage at home against the Hurricanes, holding an 8-1-2 record in their last 11 home contests.

Minnesota's lineup will be significantly impacted by injuries, with Ryan Hartman added to injured reserve and Marco Rossi and Vladimir Tarasenko missing their third consecutive game due to lower-body injuries. This has created an opportunity for rookie Danila Yurov, who will move up to center the first line alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Despite these setbacks, rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt has been a revelation, boasting a 4-0-2 record with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage, including a 141:09 shutout streak.

Wallstedt's exceptional rookie season places him second in goals-against average and third in save percentage among NHL goaltenders with at least six games played. He has already tied Josh Harding for the most shutouts by a Wild rookie in franchise history. The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT, HBO MAX, and truTV, with radio coverage available on KFAN FM 100.3.