The night against Monday, Swedish time, Minnesota enters the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs away against Vegas.
Then, star goalie Marc-André Fleury praises his colleague Filip Gustavsson for the Swede's play during the regular season.
I love that he's always cool, calm, and collected. Sometimes maybe he's not, but he doesn't show it, and I think that's very reassuring for the guys when you have a guy like that between the pipes, says the 40-year-old, according to AP.
Spreads winning mentality
Gustavsson sends a similar pass back to Fleury, who after the season puts the goalie paddle on the shelf.
His winning mentality and joy for ice hockey are so great that it just spreads throughout the entire locker room, says Gustavsson.
Canadian Fleury retires as the second most winning goalie in NHL history with 575 wins in 1,051 regular season matches for Pittsburgh, Vegas, Chicago, and Minnesota. Only fellow countryman Martin Brodeur, who ended his career in 2015, is better with 691 wins.
This season, however, Fleury (26 matches) has had to step back for Gustavsson. The Swede has started in 58 matches this season (personal record) and played a crucial role when Minnesota reached the playoffs.
It's fun right now, and I wish I could almost play every match. It's easier to leave performances behind when you know there's a new match coming soon, says Gustavsson, according to AP.
No longer sulking
Last season, he was affected by having signed a new three-year contract worth around 108 million kronor (approximately 11 million dollars).
I tried too much and felt a greater pressure on me, that I had to play a crucial role instead of just relying on the team, says Gustavsson, who then played 45 matches.
In the past, he could be sulky when he came home after a loss. Now, there's not really room for that. At the end of March, Filip Gustavsson and his wife Rebecka had an addition to the family.
We have two kids now, and we have dogs, and everyone is happy to see one. Then you just have to let go of a loss, says the goalie.
Born: June 7, 1998 (26 years old).
Youth club: Kågedalens AIF.
Other clubs: Skellefteå (youth/junior), Luleå (junior/SHL), Ottawa (NHL), Minnesota (NHL).
Statistics regular season 2024–2025: 31 wins in 58 matches, 91.4 percent in save statistics, 5 shutouts.
Other merits: First goalie when Tre Kronor took World Championship bronze in 2024, part of the squad without playing time at the World Championship gold in 2018, started two matches for Sweden in the Four Nations tournament last winter.
Current: First goalie in Minnesota, which on the night against Monday, Swedish time, begins the quarterfinals away against Vegas in the Stanley Cup.
