Filip Gustavsson makes 35 saves, Wild play to another shootout beating Canucks 2-1

Question: Who had the advantage in a goaltending duel involving Filip Gustavsson?

Answer: The Wild.

After stopping 35 shots through three periods and overtime, Gustavsson was unbeatable in the shootout to lead the Wild past the Canucks 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center and extend his and the team's win streak to three games.

Overall, the Wild have lost just twice in their last nine, while Gustavsson is on a 6-1 run with an NHL-best 1.26 goals-against average and .954 save percentage among goalies who've had at least four starts since Nov. 28.

"He just looks so big, so calm," said Frederick Gaudreau, the Wild's lone regulation goal scorer. "His reads are always good. Like in the shootout, it just seemed like the guys were looking for a hole, and he was just there — the whole game.

"He's a special goalie, for sure."

Mats Zuccarello was the only player to capitalize in the shootout, improving to 3-for-5 this season after also converting in the Wild's 3-2 shootout win vs. Calgary on Thursday.

Vancouver's Andrei Kuzmenko's attempt sailed over the net before Gustavsson denied J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.

Gustavsson knew Pettersson tends to aim low blocker, and the netminder figured Miller wouldn't try five-hole again after a breakaway try earlier.

"It's a cat-and-mouse game," Gustavsson said, "and I took the cheese today."

One-goal games used to be the Wild's nemesis; now they're becoming their specialty.

Before these back-to-back shootout victories, the Wild were 1-4-4 in that situation.

"Earlier in the year if we were in these types of games, it didn't feel like we created as many chances and it didn't feel like we could score in these types of games," Gustavsson said. "Now it feels like we're still creating the chances. The other goalie has played very well, and you just have to wait for the chances to go in."

The Canucks blanked the Wild 2-0 at home on Dec. 7, and the rematch started similarly with the Wild in control.

What was different about Round 2 was the Wild pushed a puck by goaltender Casey DeSmith, a redirect by Gaudreau with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in the first period off a heads-up pass by Marcus Foligno. Pat Maroon's assist on the play was his 300th career point. This was DeSmith's first loss to the Wild in six career games; he finished with 30 saves.

"I kind of gave [Gaudreau] a rolling puck," Foligno said, "so he did great with it."

Vancouver answered back on its own net-crashing sequence, a Teddy Blueger deflection 3:50 into the second period, and then came the chess match the Wild were expecting.

"We wanted to take away their time and space," coach John Hynes said. "We knew our time and space was going to be taken away."

A parade to the penalty box could have sabotaged the Wild.

They put the Canucks on the power play five times compared to two trips to the box for Vancouver. But the Wild's penalty kill exited unscathed, with Gustavsson picking up 11 shorthanded saves.

"Five is too many," Hynes said. "You want to credit Gus and the penalty killers for doing a good job against a high-end power play. But if you're going to be on the right side of winning more often than not, then your penalty discipline and not taking as many penalties is going to be important.

"We'll certainly address it."

Fittingly, the action finally ended because of Gustavsson.

The Wild are still missing top defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon to injury. (Spurgeon will travel on the team's upcoming road trip to Pittsburgh and Boston.) In their absence, rookie Brock Faber logged a second straight 30-minute game.

But the Wild have been poised, a calmness that is emanating out of their crease as Gustavsson continues his own turnaround.

Nearly a month ago when the Wild returned from their stint in Sweden, Gustavsson had two wins after losing his appearance in Stockholm in a shootout.

In the last two-plus weeks, he's tripled that total to become the fourth-fastest Swedish goalie to reach 40 career victories.

"Having my whole nation coming down to watch me and primetime and family and all that stuff and media around, it's very mentally challenging," Gustavsson recalled. "After that game, it was so much fun playing it. It shows that how mentally tough it even is, it's doable."