For Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber, the start of this season feels like a night and day difference compared to last year.
The Wild have won two straight and six of their last seven. They have earned at least one point in nine of their first 10 matches.
Minnesota will try to keep their early season success going when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday evening in St. Louis. Paul, Minn.
“It’s definitely a different feeling,” said Faber, a second-year player who grew up near Maple Grove, Minn. “We play with a lot of confidence every night, we expect to win every night.
“We are on the right track.”
Toronto is also off to a good start with points in seven of their first 12 games. However, the last match of the Maple Leafs did not go well as they lost 4-2 away from St. Louis Blues Saturday night.
Mitch Marner and Steven Lorentz scored one goal apiece for Toronto, which continued to search for answers on the power play. The Maple Leafs went 0-for-4 in scoring against the St. Louis.
“I don’t know,” Marner said when asked about the power struggle. “We’re working on it, we’re not stopping, we’re trying to look at things, it’s not like we’re not trying. We have to be patient, keep training and keep pushing.
“We know we can do better and find ways to improve. It will finally click. We feel the pressure, especially when the other guys come, but we know we are doing the right things, and we will get results.”
Joseph Woll allowed three goals on 23 shots for the Maple Leafs in the loss. Toronto may turn to Anthony Stolarz against Minnesota.
Stolarz is 4-2-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in seven games to start the season. The numbers are almost identical to his career stats, which include a 2.67 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
In four career games against the Wild, Stolarz is 1-3-0 with a 4.12 GAA and an .893 save percentage. He appeared in one game against Minnesota last season, when he allowed one goal on 10 shots as a member of the Florida Panthers.
On the other side of the rink, Filip Gustavsson is expected to start for the Wild. He enters the game with a 5-1-1 record, a 2.29 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
Gustavsson is 1-1-1 with a 3.98 GAA and .867 save percentage in three career games against the Maple Leafs. He struggled in his lone outing against Toronto last season, when he gave up seven goals on 33 shots and lost.
But that was last season, and this season feels different — at least so far.
Defender Jake Middleton said this season’s team has already shown the ability to erase deficits and play well under pressure. That bodes well for the team going forward, he said.
“It’s tenacity,” Middleton said. “We’ve been doing that since training camp started. We’re one of the hardest-working teams and we’re one of the smartest teams, and if you have character behind you and confidence, it doesn’t matter. The score is like that.”
–Field Level Media
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