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NEW YORK. Swedish goalie Jesper Wallstedt’s NHL debut last night was not a funny story.
Among others, Luleå friend Nils Lundkvist saw to it with the first goal of the season and an assist when Dallas overcame a faded Minnesota 7-2.
– For me it was nice to get the first goal out of the world, a stone fell from my shoulders, says Lundkvist to Sportbladet.
That was the big talking point before tonight’s NHL round. After a season and a half in the farm league, Jesper Wallstedt would finally make his NHL debut in injured compatriot Filip Gustavsson in the Minnesota Wild’s box – in an away game against the strong Dallas Stars.
And the evening began promisingly. The 21-year-old Westerner – who is generally regarded as the greatest Swedish goalkeeper talent since Henrik Lundqvist and is believed to be the future “Wall of St. Paul” in Minnesota – stopped the initial 10 shots viciously aggressive home players sent at him.
But then the fun ended. The teammates, several of them apparently with a slight cold, left him wind by wave and the Stars were able to score a total of seven goals on the blue-yellow rookie.
– I was pissed off and shouted some swear words in Swedish when I left the ice, Jesper told The Athletic.
– But this is just one match and this only gives me extra motivation for the next time.
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1 / 2Photo: Julio Cortez / AP
It probably stung extra badly that an old friend contributed to the misery.
Dallas back Nils Lundkvist, who played together with Wallstedt in Luleå before the North American adventure, accounted for both goals and assists.
– Well, we’ve known each other since the Luleå days and it was fun to see that he got the chance. It may not have been fun for him in the end, but still, he has made his NHL debut now and he will come again, says Nils when we reach him at home in the Texas metropolis a little over an hour after the final whistle.
The goal “Hank” – as Nils is sometimes called, because he shares a surname with a certain Henrik in New York – splashed in the middle of the third period was the first of the season and he has longed for it.
– Yes, it was really nice to get it out of the world. A small stone fell from his shoulders, he continues.
The 23-year-old from Piteå also answered for an assist and the fact that the points are starting to trickle in now is no coincidence. Since the turn of the year, he has received more trust from coach Pete DeBoer and has taken it and played really well.
– Yes, it feels better and better. Unfortunately, Miro Heiskanen has suffered an injury, so the rest of us have had to step up and I think we coped well, he says.
– But of course we hope that Miro will be back soon, he is our best defender.
Joel Eriksson Ek played until one of the two Minnesota goals.
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In Philadelphia, Jamie Drysdale, who had just flown in from Anaheim in the controversial Cutter Gauthier triple, made his Flyers debut against Montreal – and it went great.
He contributed an assist in the debut and was praised afterwards by John Tortorella.
– I’m not going to jump up and down, but I’m excited that we have a right-handed 21-year-old back who can skate like that, says the coach after the 3-2 victory.
Which also praises the Swedish goalkeeper Samuel Ersson, who stopped 17 of 19 shots and then held tight during the penalty shootout.
– “Sammy” has really earned his place here. His mental toughness impresses me, it says.
2024-01-11 05:31:03
#NHL #debut #nightmare #Swedish #talent
