Minnesota Wild: Top 3 reasons they can surprise in postseason
3. Their Secret Weapon
In the past, the Minnesota Wild have been cursed by untimely goaltending. Devan Dubnyk has done very well in the regular season, but traditionally, hasn’t done nearly as well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dubnyk will likely start the postseason as the starting goalie. But this season, the Wild have a very strong Plan B in Alex Stalock.
Stalock has been a huge reason for the Wild’s success since the start of 2020. Among goalies with at least 15 appearances (there are 31 of them), Stalock has a .920% save percentage, which is the ninth-best mark in the NHL. Furthermore, his 2.32 GAA is the fifth-lowest in the league. The Wild have a great defense and make Stalock’s job relatively easy. All he has to do is make the saves he is expected to make.
In 18 appearances in 2020, Stalock has 11 wins, five regulation losses, and two overtime losses. To win the Stanley Cup, you need a hot goalie. Stalock could be the guy who takes the Wild further than anyone expected.
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He’ll have a strong supporting cast helping him out too. Kevin Fiala has an eye-popping 30 points in 28 games since New Year’s Day. Zach Parise, when healthy, has been steady as usual. Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon are both studs on defense.