Hildeby Stops 34 Shots as Lightning Beat Wild 3 to 2

Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak with a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, October 8, 2026, as goaltender Dennis Hildeby made an immediate impact in his first appearance for the team. Playing at home in Tampa Bay, the 24-year-old stopped 34 of 36 shots and recorded a .944 save percentage, according to a report published by Yahoo Sports Canada.

Hildeby's performance provided Tampa Bay with an encouraging start to its plan for the newly acquired goaltender, who joined the organization from the Toronto Maple Leafs during the offseason. His debut also gave coach Jon Cooper an opportunity to evaluate another option behind established starter Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Hildeby described the team's defensive effort as an important factor in the result.

"It was fun just battling out there, and we did a great job keeping it tight. The chances they had were shots off the ice, which is a pretty good recipe there. Great job at the end there from everybody," Hildeby said.

Cooper said he wanted to introduce Hildeby to the team's home environment rather than have his first start come on the road. The coach also hopes to manage Vasilevskiy's workload during the season while ensuring the backup receives meaningful playing time.

"If I can give (Vasilevskiy) a little bit more time off during the year, I'm going to try. But also, I don't want to bury (Hildeby) and not have him play for however many games, and then his opening start is going to be on the road somewhere. I just want him to get comfortable. I want our team to get comfortable with him, and I thought fortunately tonight checked a lot of boxes," Cooper said.

Vasilevskiy has indicated that he is willing to play all 84 games, according to Yahoo Sports Canada. Cooper nevertheless wants to distribute the workload when possible, while giving Hildeby time to develop familiarity with Tampa Bay's defensive system.

Hildeby said the adjustment to his new teammates has been positive, although learning the team's system remains part of the transition.

"It's been going well in that department. I'd say it's a very good group of guys here. They're great at getting new guys into the team, so that's helped a lot.

And obviously, system-wise, getting used to, but at the end of the day, my job is pretty similar no matter where I am. It's about stopping the puck, so it's been it's been a great start so far. I'm having a lot of fun," Hildeby said.

The goaltender arrived in Tampa on September 4 to join the team ahead of training camp. Adjusting to Florida's warmer climate has also been a change since his departure from Toronto.

"I'm getting used to the heat every day, although I do feel like it's gotten a little better already," Hildeby said.

Hildeby also welcomed the opportunity to learn alongside Vasilevskiy, a goaltender he admired while growing up.

"Now I'm sharing the ice with him. There's a great opportunity for me to learn from the best here," Hildeby said.

He described meeting the veteran goalie as a rewarding experience after watching him on television for years.

"You see someone on TV all the time, and you're like, 'This doesn't feel real,' but then you meet him in real life, and he's just a nice, normal person who's an incredible goalie and super helpful. It's been fun so far," Hildeby said.

Hildeby was acquired from Toronto on July 1, 2026, and his first appearance came as Tampa Bay continued its early-season campaign. Minnesota entered the matchup dealing with injuries, including the absence of goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury, according to the NHL's projected lineup report.