Wild open 2-0 with perfect penalty kill behind goalie Jesper Wallstedt

Minnesota is 2-0 and has killed all seven opposing power plays, with Jesper Wallstedt anchoring a unit that coach John Hynes made a training-camp priority.

The Minnesota Wild are 2-0 to begin the NHL season, and their penalty kill has yet to be beaten. The club erased all four Nashville power plays in a 3-1 season-opening road win, then snuffed out three more shorthanded situations in Saturday's 4-1 home victory over the Boston Bruins. That is seven penalties faced and seven killed.

The fast start reverses a trouble area from last spring. Minnesota's postseason lasted only 11 games, and beyond the early exit itself, the shorthanded game stood out as a particular sore spot: among the 16 clubs that qualified for the playoffs, the Wild ranked 15th on the penalty kill.

That placement was jarring given the head coach's recent résumé. John Hynes guided the United States penalty kill at the Milan Olympics, a unit that never cracked during the Americans' run to gold. Against that backdrop, Minnesota devoted training camp to repairing the problem.

"Overall, I think it's been pretty good," Hynes said after the Boston win. The coach credited the unblemished run largely to Jesper Wallstedt, saying the goaltender delivered key stops in shorthanded situations, including on a couple of dangerous Boston looks.

Wallstedt finished with 26 saves against the Bruins and improved to 2-0 on the season. "I feel like we just have a good pressure constantly on them," he said. In his telling, that pressure produces mistakes from opponents, or compels them into plays aimed at areas the Wild can anticipate and pressure.

The crease became Wallstedt's under unusual circumstances a year ago. Hynes went with him, then a rookie, as the playoff goaltender last spring; it was later learned that veteran Filip Gustavsson had not been fully healthy. Gustavsson is still working back from hip surgery, which left the opening-night job to Wallstedt this season.

Hynes described a netminder who reads the play and senses where the next shot will originate when the opposition skates five-on-four — reads the coach said have been there since last season and through the first two games of this one. "He's kind of picking up where he left off as far as the penalty kill," Hynes said. "He's been very solid." Beyond the saves, the coach wants the kill to operate more predictably, in line with Minnesota's five-on-five principles, so that when a breakdown happens Wallstedt already knows which option he must be set for.

Wallstedt's strong stretch predates this season. He has held opponents to two goals or fewer across his past eight regular-season starts. "He's been on top of his game," Hynes said. "And he's made big saves when he's had to."

Minnesota now sets out on a three-game road trip. The swing follows one road game and one home game to open the schedule.