Wallstedt Stands Tall as the Wild Hand Bruins First Loss, 4-1

By Soapz · Oct 4, 2026

Well, B's fans, it couldn't last forever. One night after that wild overtime win in Winnipeg, the Bruins ran into a hot goalie and a Minnesota power play that made them pay for every mistake. Tanner Jeannot gave Boston a lead less than two minutes in, but Jesper Wallstedt shut the door after that, and the Wild took it 4-1 at Grand Casino Arena. The Bruins fall to 2-1-0.

This one stings a little, because for a big chunk of the night the Bruins were right there. But two power-play goals against in the second period flipped the game, and once Wallstedt got rolling, there was no way back. Second night of a back-to-back, on the road, against a good team. These things happen. Let's go through it anyway.

First period: a dream start

It took Tanner Jeannot just 1:53 to get the Bruins on the board. Mark Kastelic and Connor Clifton did the work to get it to him, and Jeannot didn't waste any time, firing a wrist shot past Wallstedt for his first goal of the season. 1-0 Bruins, and after the overtime win the night before, you thought maybe this team was just going to keep rolling.

The rest of the first period was a pretty even fight. The Wild had their chances, but DiPietro, making his first start of the year, looked comfortable and in control. The Bruins' fourth line of Jeannot, Kastelic and company was buzzing, and the defense was keeping things to the outside. After 20 minutes, Boston still had that 1-0 lead and was feeling pretty good about itself.

Second period: the penalty box bites

Then came the second period, and things went sideways. It started innocently enough, with Ryan Hartman going off for putting the puck over the glass at 3:15, but the Bruins couldn't do anything with the power play. Two minutes later, Casey Mittelstadt was called for interference on Matt Boldy at 5:14, and Minnesota made it hurt. Kirill Kaprizov, who might be the most dangerous player in the West, snapped one home at 6:11 with Maxim Shabanov and Joel Eriksson Ek on the assists. 1-1.

And then it got worse. At 10:21, Nikita Zadorov went off for slashing Boldy, and eight seconds later Clifton was called for tripping Shabanov. That gave the Wild a long 5-on-3 and then a 5-on-4, and while the penalty kill fought hard to kill off the two-man advantage, Quinn Hughes finally broke through at 12:28 with a wrist shot, set up by Bobby Brink and Hartman. 2-1 Wild.

That's the kind of stretch that decides games. Three penalties in five minutes on the second night of a back-to-back is just too much, especially against a team with Kaprizov and Hughes on the top unit. It wasn't for a lack of effort. Tired legs tend to show up in the form of stick penalties, and that's exactly what happened.

Third period: Wallstedt slams the door

The Bruins came out pushing in the third, but at 3:24 Jared Spurgeon wired a wrist shot past DiPietro to make it 3-1, with Michael McCarron and Hughes on the assists. That one was a gut punch, and it gave Minnesota some breathing room.

To their credit, the Bruins didn't fold. They got two more power plays when Daemon Hunt put the puck over the glass at 8:49 and Spurgeon tripped Morgan Geekie at 11:26, and they spent a lot of the third in the Minnesota end. But Wallstedt was a wall. Pastrnak fired five shots, Hagens had three and Kuraly had three, and none of them got through. When a goalie is seeing the puck like that, there's not much you can do except keep shooting.

The Bruins pulled DiPietro late for the extra attacker, and Kaprizov iced it with an empty-net goal at 18:59. 4-1 final.

DiPietro was fine

Let's be fair to Michael DiPietro here. He stopped 26 of 29 shots in his first start of the year, and two of the goals came on the power play, including one off a long two-man advantage. He was steady in the first period, and he gave the team a chance to win. If anything, the guys in front of him took too many penalties and didn't get enough past the other goalie. That's not on him.

The penalty kill and the power play

Here's the thing. The penalty kill was great the night before in Winnipeg, and it looked good early in this game too. But you can't ask your kill to survive three penalties in five minutes against an elite power play. That stretch in the second was the game.

On the other side, the power play went 0-for-3, and through three games it's still searching for its first goal. That's something to keep an eye on. The talent is there, with Pastrnak, Geekie, Lindholm and company, so it feels like a matter of time. But in close games against good teams, the power play has to start chipping in.

Some bright spots

It wasn't all bad. Elias Lindholm won 70 percent of his faceoffs, which is a big deal in a tight game. Sean Kuraly won 62 percent of his. Will Borgen blocked three shots and threw three hits. And Jeannot, Kastelic and Clifton combined on the lone goal, which was a nice reward for a line that's been bringing it every night. Hampus Lindholm played over 21 minutes and was steady too.

Hagens got another solid night of minutes and kept firing pucks at the net, which is exactly what you want to see from a rookie after his first goal. He's not shy about shooting, and that's going to pay off eventually.

Soapz's report card

Tanner Jeannot: B+. Scored less than two minutes in and kept finishing checks all night. You can't ask much more from a fourth-liner on the second night of a back-to-back.

Michael DiPietro: B. 26 saves in his first start, with two of the goals against coming on the power play. He gave the Bruins a chance to win, and that's the job.

David Pastrnak: B-. Five shots and some great looks, but Wallstedt had his number. The effort was there. The finish wasn't.

Elias Lindholm: B. Won 70 percent of his faceoffs, which kept the Bruins in possession for long stretches even when the scoreboard wasn't cooperating.

Will Borgen: B. Three blocks and three hits. He was one of the few skaters who looked fresh all night.

Team discipline: D. Three penalties in five minutes in the middle period, two Minnesota power-play goals, and that was the game. Lesson learned, hopefully.

The power play: D. Three more chances, no goals. Through three games, it's still waiting for its first one.

One loss, big picture

It's worth stepping back for a second. The Bruins played three games in five nights to open the season, two of them on the road and back to back, and came away with four of six points. That's a perfectly good start. The loss in Minnesota came against a playoff-caliber team with an elite goalie, on tired legs, after a draining overtime win the night before. Nobody should be panicking. If anything, the lesson is simple. Stay out of the box, and this team is going to win a lot of games.

Looking ahead: home to Ottawa on Monday

The Bruins finally get a couple of days off before they head home to host the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. After back-to-back road games to open the season, they'll be glad to sleep in their own beds. Ottawa is a young, fast team with a lot of skill, so this is a good chance for Boston to get back in the win column at the Garden. Things to watch: Can the power play finally break through? Does Swayman get back in net? And can the Bruins stay out of the box?

Our takeaways

Discipline matters. Three second-period penalties in five minutes cost the Bruins the game. Wallstedt was the difference. 26 saves on 27 shots, and he deserved the first star. DiPietro held his own. A solid first start on a tough night. The power play is still looking for its first goal. 0-for-3, and it's time to break through.

That's 2-1-0, B's fans. One loss doesn't change anything, and the Garden is waiting. 🐻

← Back to Front Page