Filip Gustavsson gets first career shutout as Wild blank Canucks 3-0

Special teams on a special night delivered the Wild a 3-0 victory Saturday at Vancouver.

Winger Matt Boldy's first-period power play goal and center Connor Dewar's second-period shorthanded goal provided a lead the Wild never surrendered — not on a night when goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson stopped all 35 shots he faced for his first NHL shutout.

Sam Steel added an insurance goal midway through the third period, just in case.

All three goals came in former Gophers captain Sammy Walker's NHL debut.

Walker helped create Boldy's goal and just missed scoring his first NHL goal when his breakaway shot in the third period went just over the crossbar.

Wild star Kirill Kaprizov's franchise-record consecutive point streak ended at 14 games while the Wild ended a four-game trip 2-2 after it won at Dallas in a shootout and lost at Calgary and Edmonton before Saturday's victory.

The Wild now head home for four games starting Monday against Edmonton.

The shutout was Gustavsson's fourth consecutive victory, a career high. He's 5-1-1 in his last seven starts.

"It feels great," Gustavsson said in a Bally Sports North post-game interview. "I had the opportunity to get it before and they scored with five minutes left in both of those games. And now I finally held on and got my first one."

On Friday, the Wild surrendered two power-play goals and an empty-net goal in a 5-2 loss to the Oilers.

On Saturday, Boldy and Dewar both scored late in a period, all their team needed.

Boldy's goal on a one-timer rebound low in the right circle came at 16:43 in the first period and was his 10th this season, third-most on the team.

Wild defenseman Calen Addison assisted on Boldy's goal in his return to Saturday's lineup after he was a healthy scratch for the first time this season Friday in Edmonton. Alex Goligoski came out to make room for Addison.

Addison's 15 points this season — two goals, 13 assists — are fifth-most among NHL rookies and second among rookies in assists. He also leads all rookies with 11 power play points, all assists.

Dewar's goal, unassisted at 16:08 in the second period, made it 2-0 after his team had just been penalized three times in succession, the last for too many men on the ice.

It also came only a couple hours after Wild coach Dean Evason lamented his team's penalty-killing in Edmonton after it had been so good most of the season.

It was Dewar's third shorthanded goal this season — his fourth overall — and the Wild's sixth shorthanded goal this season. His four shorthanded points — an assist to go with the three goals — lead the NHL this season.

"I've killed penalties my whole life," Dewar said in a second-intermission TV interview. "I'm kind of looking to make a career of it, so I hope it keeps going."

The Wild on Friday recalled Walker from Iowa in the AHL and reassigned forward Joseph Cramarossa.

They did so after Walker played in 21 games in Iowa this season and arrived in Minnesota leading all AHL rookies in scoring and tied for first among all AHL rookies in goal. He led Iowa in points (22), goals (11) and power-play goals (six).

He made his NHL debut on a line with Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau.

Evason called Walker's debut "really good" and praised his speed and poise.

"Obviously, he's got speed," Evason told reporters after the game. "When you get a breakaway in your first game in the National Hockey League, you know you can get going. He was good defensively. We really liked the way he conducted himself. He didn't panic. It was nice to see and he should get better as we go along."

Chosen by Tampa Bay in the 2017 NHL Draft's seventh round with the 200th overall pick, Walker signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Wild last summer. He was Minnesota's 2018 Mr. Hockey his senior season at Edina — the only Hornet ever to win the award — and was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. He also was the Gophers' first three-year captain.

Walker wore jersey No. 74 in his debut Saturday night and his speed and presence drew a Vancouver hooking penalty that created Boldy's opportunistic power-play goal.

"It was unbelievable," Walker said in a first intermission TV interview about his first NHL action. "Just a dream come true. There's not many other words that can describe it."

While Walker played his first game, Wild veteran forward Marcus Foligno played his 700th career game and celebrated with a fight with Canuck Riley Stillman that started the second period.

Foligno played 347 games for Buffalo after he made his NHL debut there in the 2011-12 season. He has played 353 games now with the Wild.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.