Wallstedt Back in Net for Game 3: What Minnesota's Goalie Decision Means for Saves and Team Totals

Per the team's announcement Saturday, Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes is sending Jesper Wallstedt back between the pipes for Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche. The decision wasn't a surprise — Wallstedt has been the Wild's backbone all season — but the confirmation matters, especially with the series shifting and Joel Eriksson Ek still sidelined with a lower-body injury. Minnesota is leaning hard on youth and health they don't fully have.

Wallstedt, nicknamed 'The Wall of St. Paul,' is exactly the type of high-volume stopper whose playoff performance creates real variance in save props. Colorado's top line generates elite shot volume — Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen consistently push opponents past 35 shots against — which means Wallstedt is almost certain to face a heavy workload in Game 3. That's a meaningful number for anyone pricing saves markets. A 25+ saves line, if available, is essentially a freeroll given Avalanche offensive tendencies.

Eriksson Ek's absence is the quieter damage here. He's a two-way center who suppresses shot volume on the defensive side of the puck, kills penalties, and wins faceoffs in his own zone. Without him, Minnesota's structure in the defensive zone is softer, which compounds the shot volume Wallstedt will absorb. It also limits Wild offensive options — Eriksson Ek's linemates lose deployment, and Minnesota's depth scoring becomes thinner and more predictable for Colorado's defensive corps.

For tonight's numbers, the Wallstedt confirmation supports a lean toward the over on his saves total — the Avalanche are averaging north of 33 shots per game this postseason, and a shorthanded Wild team gives up more high-danger looks than they do at full strength. On the Wild side, goals props for players like Kirill Kaprizov become more isolated — he'll see elevated usage but also more defensive attention. If Colorado presses its advantage, Wallstedt crossing 30 saves in regulation is a realistic and priceable outcome.

The Eriksson Ek absence also nudges the puck line toward Colorado. Minnesota was already facing a talent gap against this Avalanche roster; losing a shutdown center for the second straight game makes covering a -1.5 Avalanche spread more credible, particularly at home ice in Denver where Colorado's power play operates at a different level.