The only game the Wild have won with Gustavsson as the starter during that stretch was a comeback win over the St. Louis Blues, when he was pulled in favor of future Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Kaprizov had a couple scoring chances for the Wild (28-16-4), who were delighted to get their superstar back after he missed the last 12 games with a lower-body injury. Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves for Utah (21-19-7) in what was just their second shutout win of the season.

Filip Gustavsson has been better than most people's expectations this year after finishing last season with a .899 SV% and GAA of 3.06. His 14.8 goals saved above expected highlights his surprising improvement,

The Wild fell 4-1 in Vegas, but Gustavsson's play was encouraging. Bill Guerin had an update on Kirill Kaprizov's return.

An injury to veteran goalie Jacob Markstrom will affect Sweden's goalie situation at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, but the Swedes still have solid depth between the pipes.

Welcome to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey looks at the games happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in.

The Flames may not be the highest-scoring team in the NHL, but they can score goals tonight against the Wild, as our expert NHL predictions explain.

Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson looks back at the puck after a Utah goal in the second period Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Calgary Flames’ short-term goal is to find a way to knock off the host Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn. As for their long-term goal, the Flames’ priority is squarely on making the postseason.

Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves for the Wild (28-16-4), which has lost four of its past five. Forward Kirill Kaprizov had three shots in 16:39 after missing the past 12 games with a lower-body injury.

The Calgary Flames' short-term goal is to find a way to knock off the host Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Goaltending sure is a fickle position in the NHL these days. There are only a few true No. 1 netminders in the league. The type of goaltender a team can lean on for crucial stretches in a season and eventually a long playoff run if they are lucky.