ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Wild followers know the story all too nicely.

Final season, the group completed the common season with the franchise file of 113 factors.

They earned residence ice in spherical one in opposition to the St. Louis Blues.

The query loomed within the few days main as much as their first-round matchup: what goalie would begin within the playoffs?

Cam Talbot – now a goaltender for the Ottawa Senators – completed the common season on a 13-0-3 tear.

Marc Andre Fleury was 9-2-0 in his 11 common season video games with Minnesota.

A reminder of the numbers heading into the postseason:

Talbot – 13-0-3; .917 save share, 2.35 targets in opposition to per recreation 

Fleury – 9-2-0, .910 save share, 2.74 targets in opposition to per recreation 

And we all know the way it ended. The Wild opted to go together with Fleury within the first 5 video games, with Talbot solely getting the nod in a must-win recreation six.

In hindsight, perhaps beginning Fleury out of the gate was not the proper choice.

Nevertheless, it’s unfair to say it was the flawed name.

It might have been, however the narrative is a bit lazy. Keep in mind, the Wild held a 2-1 collection lead via three video games. Any Wild fan would have gladly accepted this proposition pre-series: The Wild will begin Marc Andre Fleury in video games one, two, and three. And they’re going to have a two-to-one collection lead.

Which isn’t to say it was the precise choice. You get the purpose. It was not as apparent as many make it out to be.

The query grew to become, how lengthy would they hold Fleury within the web? They might have made the swap after dropping recreation 4, a 5-2 loss which twisted up the collection at two.

And that is the place it obtained fascinating.

The Wild began Fleury once more in recreation 5 and misplaced 5-2.

Head Coach Dean Evason thrust Talbot into the crease for a must-win recreation six in enemy territory, which was a tall order for a goalie on the bench for 2 weeks. And the season promptly ended.

It’s powerful in a back-and-forth playoff collection to swap up goaltending.

There might by no means be a consensus time.

I’d argue recreation 5 final 12 months was simply that. However who is aware of? We do know recreation six was too late. It’s clear by then the Wild missed the boat. Individuals disagree on when Talbot ought to have gotten the nod. However most appear to agree the Wild waited too lengthy.

But when every goalie’s respective expertise was essential to the Wild brass, seemingly extra necessary than the on-ice play to finish the common season, sticking with Fleury in an elimination recreation might have been a greater choice in alignment with their plan.

It was a bizarre collection. In any case, what can we study on this debrief?

It’s onerous to modify it up in a grind of a playoff collection.

That’s the reason to start the playoffs with who’s finest down the stretch.

Humorous sufficient, an identical scenario is brewing in St. Paul for this go round.

If the playoffs started tomorrow, it shouldn’t be a query of who performs recreation one.

Since Feb. 9, Gustavsson, in his first 12 months in Minnesota – satirically traded within the offseason to Minnesota for Talbot – is 8-1-4 and

leads the league in that stretch with a 1.55 goals-against common and a .946 save share.

These numbers are astounding.

Over that very same 13-game span, Fleury is 7-3-1, with .911 targets in opposition to common and a 2.62 save share.

Gustavsson’s are considerably higher. And Fleury’s are good, which says quite a bit in regards to the Swede’s play.

This might all change with 9 regular-season video games left.

However here’s what the Wild ought to bear in mind most from final 12 months’s playoff exit.

If Gustavsson struggles within the postseason, you will have the perfect quantity two of any group who can are available in in aid. It’s a win-win for Minnesota.

Begin Gustavsson. Journey him till he suffers a number of poor performances, or the group wants a wake-up. Then shake it up and throw within the three-time cup champ.

And ensure it’s not too late, which is the important thing to all of this.

The group doesn’t want one other case examine on goaltending selections.

Save Fleury’s expertise till adversity arrives, and it at all times does within the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Play the playing cards a unique approach this time round and perhaps the goaltending drama of 2022 evolves into the success story of 2023.