Filip Gustavsson stood tall in the net, stopping all 27 shots he faced, as the Minnesota Wild dominated the St. Louis Blues in a 5-0 victory on Thursday night. The Wild showcased their offensive depth with goals from Ryan Hartman (2), Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marco Rossi. Kirill Kaprizov contributed three assists in the Wild's season opener.

Hartman got the Wild on the board first, scoring with 4:06 remaining in the opening period. He skillfully evaded a Blues defender and tucked the puck between Jordan Binnington's pads. Just under two minutes later, Boldy increased the lead to 2-0, deflecting a pass from Kaprizov over Binnington's shoulder.

The Wild continued to apply pressure in the second period. Eriksson Ek made it 3-0 on a power-play goal with 7:33 left in the period, capitalizing on a rebound from Boldy's shot. The goal marked Eriksson Ek's 300th career point, all earned over nine seasons with the Wild. Hartman added his second goal of the night with a sharp-angle shot from the left circle, further extending Minnesota's lead.

Rossi capped off the scoring in the third period, collecting a loose puck in the slot and lifting it past Binnington to make it 5-0. Kaprizov and Boldy earned their third points of the night with assists on the play.

The Wild were without veterans Jonas Brodin and Nico Sturm due to injuries. Coach John Hynes indicated that Brodin's return is "imminent," while Sturm is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a back injury.

For Gustavsson, this was his 12th career shutout and his second in three season openers with the Wild. Binnington, in contrast, allowed five goals on 21 shots. The Wild's strong performance in all three periods demonstrated their potential this season.