Hartman scores twice, Gustavsson makes 27 saves in Wild’s 5-0 win over Blues in opener

ST. LOUIS, MO — Ryan Hartman scored twice, and Filip Gustavsson stopped all 27 shots he faced to earn his 12th career NHL shutout as the Minnesota Wild cruised past the St. Louis Blues 5-0 on Thursday night, opening the season with a dominant performance.

Minnesota also got goals from Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marco Rossi. Star forward Kirill Kaprizov, in his first game since signing a massive eight-year, $136 million contract, tallied three assists. Gustavsson, fresh off signing a five-year, $34 million extension, delivered a stellar performance in net.

Hartman and Boldy struck late in the first period to give the Wild early control. Hartman fired in a shot from the edge of the slot with 4:06 remaining, and Boldy followed with a deft tip-in just over two minutes later.

In the second, Eriksson Ek pushed the lead to 3-0 on a power-play rebound goal — marking his 300th career point. Hartman then added his second of the night with 2:24 left in the period, slipping the puck past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from close range.

Rossi capped off the scoring at 7:26 of the third, burying a rebound to seal the win.

What’s next:

• Wild: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
• Blues: Head to Calgary to face the Flames, also on Saturday.