Wallstedt Shines Again as Wild Edge Oilers 1-0
-
By Doug Hirdle
- —
Summary:
- The Edmonton Oilers lost 1-0 to the Minnesota Wild, continuing their recent struggles, with key scoring streaks ending for Kaprizov and Draisaitl.
- Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for his fourth shutout in 10 games.
- Jonas Brodin scored the lone goal as Minnesota extended its points streak to 12 games.
Jesper Wallstedt turned in another standout performance on Tuesday, stopping all 33 shots he faced for his fourth shutout of the season. He’s only played 10 games, but he’s been at the center of the Minnesota Wild’s surge, and they kept that run going with a tight 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Five Losses in Seven Games
Edmonton (11-11-5) continues to slip, dropping five of its last seven including against the Dallas Stars. Stuart Skinner kept the Oilers in it with 23 saves, but it wasn’t enough.
Kris Knoblauch’s side didn’t have much luck with streaks. Leon Draisaitl’s eight-game point streak came to a halt after he collected five goals and eight assists over that span.
Jonas Brodin scored the only goal for Minnesota (15-7-5), after Minnesota broke through late in the first period. Brodin’s point shot off a faceoff slipped past Skinner, who missed it with his glove.
It was Brodin’s third goal of the season and the only one they’d need. His team hasn’t left a game empty-handed in 12 straight outings. The Wild finished November on an 11-1-2 tear and didn’t look like they lost any momentum heading into the new month.
Kirill Kaprizov wasn’t able to keep his scoring run going. His streak of five straight games with a goal ended, and so did his seven-game point streak, during which he put up seven goals and two assists.
Impressive Rise for Wallsted
Wallstedt’s rise has been impressive. Drafted 20th overall in 2021, a pick Edmonton traded away, he was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month earlier in the day.
In November, he went 6-0-0 with a 1.14 goals-against average, a .967 save percentage, and three shutouts in six games.
Heading into Tuesday, he held a 7-0-2 record, led the league with a .938 save percentage, and owned a 1.93 goals-against average, second only to Calgary’s Devin Cooley (1.88).
Up next in the NHL, the Oilers will stay home, where they will host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, while the Wild will carry on their four-game road trip in Calgary on the same day.
