Wild rolling on the Gus Bus

The Gus Bus is rolling.

Filip Gustavsson stopped 36 goals in regulation and overtime, then three goals in the shootout in the Wild’s 2-1 victory over Vancouver on Saturday, another storyline in the team’s renaissance under new head coach John Hynes.

In nine games under Hynes, the Wild are surrendering an average of 1.56 goals a game, and Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have a combined save percentage of .947.

That’s mostly been Gustavsson, who has started seven of those games and gone 6-1-0 with a 1.26 GAA and a .954 save percentage. According to the Wild, that’s tops over that span among NHL goaltenders who have made at least four starts.

The past two have been nail-biters, including a 3-2 shootout victory on Thursday. In those games, Gustavsson stopped a combined 73 shots in regulation and overtime, and 6 of 7 in the shootouts.

Asked if he was stressed out by those situations, Gustavsson, 25, said, “No.”

“How we are playing now, it feels more comfortable,” he said. “Earlier in the year, if we were in these types of games, it didn’t feel like we created as many chances and it didn’t feel like we could score in these types of games. Now, it feels like we’re still creating the chances. The other goalie has played very well, and you just have to wait for the chances to go in.”

Gustavsson and Fleury will split the next two games, back-to-backs Monday in Pittsburgh and Tuesday in Boston, but Hynes said he hadn’t decided who would play where. Fleury, 39 and possibly playing his final season, could be making his last appearances in Pittsburgh, where he was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams.

Stepping up

The Wild got a lot of bad news this week, first learning Jonas Brodin was placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper body injury, then when Jared Spurgeon was sidelined by a lower body injury.

Since then, however, they have earned four points in two games.

“I think it’s a mindset,” Hynes said. “No. 1, just that you have to win with the group that is dressed that night.”

Dakota Mermis and Daemon Hunt were recalled from Iowa this week and each played one game. Hunt, a 21-year-old rookie, played 14:44 on Saturday, even logging time on the penalty kill. In Thursday’s 3-2 shootout victory over Calgary, rookie Brock Faber, 21, captained the first power-play unit.

“That’s what happens,” Hynes said. “We’re down, and as we talked about before when you’re down two defensemen, the guys that are in your lineup that play in certain situations have to do the job. No different than Daemon on the penalty kill versus Brock running the top power play. Guys get opportunities in different roles, and the last couple games, guys have stepped up.”

Important puck

Marcus Foligno had standing marching orders from linemate Pat Maroon. If Maroon earned a point while they were on the ice, whoever was closest to the net would retrieve the puck.

When it happened Saturday, Foligno was celebrating Freddy Gaudreau’s goal — which came on a tipped pass from Foligno — when he suddenly darted to the crease and picked up the puck. Maroon had the second assist on the goal, his 300th career NHL point.

“We’ve been talking about it for a while, and he hasn’t had a point in a long time,” Foligno said. “So, I mean, it was a little bit frustrating there and then I saw him lock eyes with me and I said, ‘Oh, snap, that’s right.’

“Exciting moment for him. For a big man like that, it’s great to have a lot of points, and it’s great to assist on it and be a part of that milestone.”

Briefly

After playing a career-high 30 minutes, 8 seconds in Thursday’s game, Faber played 31:34 against Vancouver, the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in franchise history.

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