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‘Boring’ goalie tandem behind Wild’s climb in West standings

Heading into Saturday's late game at Vancouver, the Minnesota Wild sat third in the Western Conference as Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt steadied the team.
In contrast to Marc-Andre Fleury's highlight-driven style, the Wild duo emphasizes positioning over acrobatics, with teammates describing them as intentionally `boring` to preserve durability.
Wallstedt's league-leading numbers — a 1.74 GAA and.944 SV% with four shutouts — highlight his early-season dominance, while Gustavsson rebounded with a 5-2-2 run and both goalies scored pro goals.
Contract terms plus Wallstedt's Calder buzz have intensified an internal competition for long-term roles as Filip Gustavsson holds a five-year deal while Wallstedt is in year one of a two-year, $2.2 million contract.
Their Brodeur-like, positionally sound style connects the tandem to longstanding goaltending traditions, as observers note Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils legend, has at least two disciples in Minnesota.

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‘Boring’ goalie tandem behind Wild’s climb in West standings

Even in the final on-ice campaign of his hall of fame career, which included multiple Stanley Cups and farewell tributes in arenas all across the NHL, Marc-Andre Fleury was doing the stuff that made him legendary. Last season with the Minnesota Wild, “Flower” was still a mainstay on the top 10 sports highlight shows for his propensity to flash his glove, dive across the crease or stack his pads to keep the puck out of his net. Minnesota Wild goa…

10 days ago·Saint Paul, United States

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