New Wild coach John Hynes assesses goaltending on a situational basis, but he has made it clear he believes it takes a tandem of two to win in the NHL.
And if a competitive vibe develops, that might even help the team.
"Both guys know the other guy can play at any given time," Hynes said.
Only a week into his tenure, Hynes is leading the Wild toward that dynamic: Both goalies are coming off victories after Marc-Andre Fleury backstopped the team to a 4-1 takedown of the Blackhawks on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center in his first start since Hynes took over.
"We were in such a deep hole that it just feels good to relax a bit, get some wins, see some smiles," said Fleury, referring to the seven-game skid that preceded this 3-0 surge by the Wild under Hynes. "But it's never easy. The parity around the league is very good, so there's no easy nights, right?
"Anybody can beat anybody, so you always have to be ready and consistent."
Not only have Fleury and Filip Gustavsson picked up much-needed wins recently — Gustavsson hadn't won in more than a month, and Fleury was approaching that long of a drought — but they have looked sharp.
"Everyone knew they weren't at their best, but we weren't doing anything to help them," forward Brandon Duhaime said of the goalies' early struggles.