Wild Make Goalie Decision After Game 2 Loss to Stars

The Minnesota Wild return home with their first-round series against the Dallas Stars tied after two games.

Minnesota opened the series with a 6-1 win before dropping Game 2 by a 4-2 score in Dallas.

The shift in momentum came as the Stars capitalized on mistakes and tightened defensively, evening the series before it moved to St. Paul.

Through two games, both teams have relied on their top contributors, with Minnesota generating offense from multiple skaters.

According to The Athletic's Michael Russo, the Wild are not making a change in net despite the Game 2 loss on Monday.

With the news of Jesper Wallstedt starting in Game 3, this will mark his third straight start of the postseason after he logged 33 during the regular season, winning 18 of those contests.

Wallstedt is coming off allowing three goals on 31 shots in Game 2, his highest total of goals allowed since March 15.

Across his final eight appearances of the regular season, he had allowed two or fewer goals in each outing.

he's starting https://t.co/wDcD4VRWHj

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 21, 2026

The 23-year-old has otherwise posted strong numbers early in the playoffs, going 1-1 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

His Game 2 performance included an early goal that came off a deflection and rebound plays that led to Dallas building a lead. Wallstedt finished the game with 28 saves, with the final goal coming in an empty net situation.

Game 3 will take place on Wednesday in Minnesota, with puck drop set for 9:30 p.m. ET.

Related: Oilers Announce Injury News After Forward Leaves Game 1 Against Ducks

Related: Stars Announce Roope Hintz News After 22 Games Missed

Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 8:01 AM.