With the goalie pulled and the Blues down a man, the opportunity was there for anyone on the Wild to pickup an early-season power play goal. However, I don't think it was on anyone's bingo card that the recipient would have been the goaltender, Gustavsson.
After reaching centre-ice, the Blues wired a slap shot that was caught by Gustavsson with 12.7 seconds remaining in regulation. The Swedish netminder quickly reacted by dropping the puck onto his stick before sending a perfect full-length shot right into the middle of the twine.
Not only was it the first Wild goaltender goal in franchise history, but it was also a power play marker. He now has more power play goals on the season than the likes of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
The Wild defeated the Blues 4-1 and are now 2-0-2 to start the season. It was also Gustavsson's second win of the season as he looks to rebound from a tough 2023-24 that saw his save percentage drop 32 points and his GAA climb up a full goal from the year prior.
POLL | ||
15 OCTOBRE | 1156 ANSWERS Wild Goaltender Filip Gustavsson Scores First Goalie Goal of the Season Do the Minnesota Wild make the playoffs in 2024-25? | ||
Yes | 552 | 47.8 % |
No | 604 | 52.2 % |
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