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Niklas Backstrom News & Rumors

Niklas Backstrom to undergo ankle surgery
April 10
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom will have surgery within the next two weeks to fix an ankle injury that bothered him over the final weeks of the season, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Monday, April 9. Backstrom is expected to make a complete recovery, according to Fletcher. Fletcher said one or two other players might need surgery, pending postseason checkups this week. Fletcher wouldn't name the players, but did say captain Mikko Koivu, who missed 27 games this season - most because of a shoulder injury - is not one."
Niklas Backstrom ready, but Josh Harding likely to play
March 21
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Though Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom appears to be fully healed from a groin injury that has cost him 11 games, Josh Harding likely will remain the team's starting goalie for the team's game on Thursday, March 22, against Calgary at the Xcel Energy Center, Wild coach Mike Yeo said after today's optional practice. "We won't make that decision right now, but typically we would go with a goalie who had a shutout in his last game," Yeo said of Harding."
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom could be done for season
March 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom is out two to four weeks with a strained groin, coach Mike Yeo said Friday, leaving his season in jeopardy while creating another opportunity for rookie Matt Hackett. Yeo said an MRI in the Twin Cities revealed Backstrom's injury was not as serious as initially feared. Backstrom, who has a history of hip injuries, had to be carried off the ice Thursday night after making a save on forward Erik Cole 2:52 into the first period of Minnesota's shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens. "There's no issues with his hip," Yeo said before the Wild played the Detroit Red Wings. "It's not as bad as some of the groin strains can be. It's not real close to the bone. It's"
Backstrom out 2-4 weeks because of strained groin; Hackett up
March 3
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"As if things weren't bad enough for the Wild with captain Mikko Koivu and wingers Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse hurt, goalie Niklas Backstrom will be sidelined two to four weeks because of a strained groin. Backstrom's season is in jeopardy if he misses the high end of that window. "Obviously we don't have lot of time here in the regular season," coach Mike Yeo said. Backstrom, 17-17-6 with a 2.44 goals-against average and .920 save percentage, was hurt less than three minutes into Thursday's game at Montreal after dropping down into his butterfly and kicking out his right pad to stop an Erik Cole shot. He immediately writhed in pain and was unable to put pressure on his"
Niklas Backstrom injures leg in shootout loss
March 2
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"In an ugly 4-minute, 28-second stretch to open the game that featured a fight, two power plays and a pair of goals, the Wild lost goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who went down after a hard Erik Cole shot hit him in the left leg. He had to be helped off the ice, and Josh Harding played the rest of the game. Down 4-1 with less than five minutes to go, the Wild stormed back, first with Matt Kassian's second goal of the game (and of his career). Then Dany Heatley popped home a rebound, before Devin Setoguchi tied the game with 9.8 seconds left and Harding out of the net. The rally brought the game to overtime, guaranteeing the Wild a point. But the team couldn't score in a shootout."
Wild goalie Backstrom leaves with injury
March 1
NHL.com
 
"Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom had to leave Thursday night's game against the Montreal Canadiens with an apparent leg injury. Just 2:52 into the game, Backstrom kicked out his right leg to make a save on an Erik Cole shot and could not get back up."
Backstrom big, even in shootout
February 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"For two months, the Wild has sounded like a broken record. "We're not going to outskill teams." "We need to get to the net." "We need to score more dirty goals." Thursday night, the Wild did just that against the Florida Panthers, getting in former teammate Jose Theodore's kitchen and cooking up two smelly, grimy, greasy goals before getting rewarded for that hard work in, believe it or not, the shootout. Yes, to repeat, the Wild was rewarded in the shootout for a change. The Wild won 3-2 thanks to Erik Christensen and Matt Cullen going 2 and 2 in the shootout and most notably, Niklas Backstrom going 2-for-2, as well. "It's nice to get that extra point," said Cullen, who scored for the"
Wild's Backstrom finding his form in goal
February 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"If there has been one constant during Wild victories this season, it has been this: good goaltending. Execution between the pipes has to be above average to give the team a better-than-average chance to win. And that's why both head coach Mike Yeo and goaltending coach Bob Mason are cautiously optimistic about the way Niklas Backstrom played against Boston on Sunday. In a 2-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions, Backstrom made 48 saves. It was the highest save total ever in a Wild shutout and the highest shot total ever for the Bruins in a shutout loss. But it wasn't only the number of saves that had Yeo excited, it was how Backstrom made them. "I find with Back, when he's"
Wild's Backstrom turns Bruins aside, left them with nothing
February 20
Boston Globe
 
"At the conclusion of yesterday's 2-0 loss to the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center, Milan Lucic lifted his stick and hammered it twice on the boards in front of the Boston bench. The stick didn't give. With one final whack, Lucic finally snapped the twig, then flung the shaft onto the ice in disgust. There was no sense in keeping a stick that had no juice. Lucic had two of Boston's 48 shots, including a sparkling scoring chance in the third period. At 9:51 of the third, Lucic snapped a close-range shot on goal. But Niklas Backstrom gloved the bid to keep Minnesota's 2-0 lead in place. It was perhaps the sharpest of Backstrom's 48 saves, the most he's ever made as an NHL puckstopper."
Niklas Backstrom has edge over Josh Harding
February 4
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Earlier this week, Wild coach Mike Yeo said it was time for one of his two goaltenders - Niklas Backstrom or Josh Harding - to take over the No. 1 job on a consistent basis. If both are auditioning for the majority of the work, Backstrom has made a strong impression. He stopped 37 shots in the Wild's 1-0 victory Thursday night over Colorado, turning away 17 shots in the third period. Backstrom has played in 31 of the Wild's 56 games, but as Minnesota struggled through the second half of December and much of January, his play dipped; he allowed at least three goals in seven consecutive games, and the Wild won just one of those games. In his past two games - both wins over the Avalanche -"
Backstrom is back, shutting out the Avs
February 3
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Mike Yeo met with Niklas Backstrom after the All-Star break. The Wild coach told him it was time for one of the goaltenders -- Backstrom or Josh Harding -- to step up, seize control of the nets and get on a run. Thursday night at Colorado, Backstrom, quiet in his crease and in control throughout, made 37 saves for his 25th career shutout as the Wild beat the Avalanche 1-0 for its second victory at the Pepsi Center in nine nights. "He [Backstrom] said right there he'd like to be that guy [to get the majority of the starts], and he's obviously going to get another chance [Saturday] in Dallas," Yeo said. "I thought he was in control all night. He was seeing pucks and he was controlling his"
Backstrom is back, shutting out the Avs
February 3
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Mike Yeo met with Niklas Backstrom after the All-Star break. The Wild coach told him it was time for one of the goaltenders -- Backstrom or Josh Harding -- to step up, seize control of the nets and get on a run. Thursday night at Colorado, Backstrom, quiet in his crease and in control throughout, made 37 saves for his 25th career shutout as the Wild beat the Avalanche 1-0 for its second victory at the Pepsi Center in nine nights. "He [Backstrom] said right there he'd like to be that guy [to get the majority of the starts], and he's obviously going to get another chance [Saturday] in Dallas," Yeo said. "I thought he was in control all night. He was seeing pucks and he was controlling his"
Niklas Backstrom back in Minnesota Wild goal after battling a virus for more than a week
January 20
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"After missing four games because of a virus that had left him ill for more than a week, Niklas Backstrom returned to the net for the Wild on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Backstrom said earlier this week that he started feeling sick during the Wild's loss in Calgary on Jan. 7, and after finishing that game, he was scratched for the next three as Matt Hackett was called up from Houston. Backstrom was available for Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, but coach Mike Yeo stuck with Josh Harding after he made a career-high 47 saves Saturday at St. Louis. Backstrom faced Toronto for the fourth time in his career Thursday; he was 2-1 with a 2.00 goals-against average against the"
Wild still awaiting Niklas Backstrom's return to health
January 18
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"With Josh Harding coming off one of the best games of his career - and Niklas Backstrom still recovering from a nasty virus he's had for 10 days - the Wild started Harding for the fourth straight game against the Flyers on Tuesday night. Harding, who made a career-high 47 saves in the Wild's 3-2 shootout loss to St. Louis on Saturday, recovered nicely from his performance in Chicago on Jan. 12, when he was benched for Matt Hackett after allowing four goals in 21 shots. He might have started against the Flyers even if Backstrom was completely healthy, but the situation as it is made coach Mike Yeo's decision easy. Backstrom said he has lost six pounds from his illness, which he said started"
Wild able to keep a good thing going with shutout over Colorado
November 18
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Wild's snake-bit top line bought itself more patience from coach Mike Yeo. In what Devin Setoguchi called a "a pretty dead game up and down the ice," the Wild's 24-year-old winger salivated when a ricochet off a Dany Heatley shot touched down oh-so conveniently onto his blade Thursday night. With an open net staring him in the face, Setoguchi sniped a bullet with 2 minutes, 31 seconds left as the surging Wild extended its Northwest Division lead to five points with a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center. "I don't even think I had a shot on net until that point in the game," Setoguchi said accurately. "I don't think anyone felt like they were generating a lot of"
Backstrom chimes in with a shutout
November 9
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The big question now is who starts in goal Thursday in San Jose. The Wild has a goaltending controversy, but only because of an embarrassment of riches. After backup Josh Harding reeled off four victories in a row and was named the NHL's First Star of the Week, Niklas Backstrom made his first start in 12 days Tuesday night and shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Backstrom made 41 saves, his most ever in a shutout, for his 23rd career blanking to lift the Wild to a fifth victory in a row -- Minnesota's longest winning streak since late 2009. "I don't know that we could make a bad decision as a coaching staff right now as far as who we're going to put in net," coach Mike Yeo said."
Backstrom chimes in with a shutout
November 9
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The big question now is who starts in goal Thursday in San Jose. The Wild has a goaltending controversy, but only because of an embarrassment of riches. After backup Josh Harding reeled off four victories in a row and was named the NHL's First Star of the Week, Niklas Backstrom made his first start in 12 days Tuesday night and shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Backstrom made 41 saves, his most ever in a shutout, for his 23rd career blanking to lift the Wild to a fifth victory in a row -- Minnesota's longest winning streak since late 2009. "I don't know that we could make a bad decision as a coaching staff right now as far as who we're going to put in net," coach Mike Yeo said."
Niklas Backstrom leads Wild to fifth straight win
November 9
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"After the first period Tuesday night in the Scotiabank Saddledome, the big video screens on the scoreboard showed a steady succession of close-in scoring chances by the Calgary Flames. In every one, Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom made the save. Backstrom stopped all 15 Calgary shots in the first period, all 12 in the second period and all 14 in the third to allow the Wild to defeat the Flames 3-0. The victory was Minnesota's fifth in a row. It was nothing new: The Wild used outstanding goaltending and outstanding penalty killing to carry them to four consecutive victories heading into this five-city road trip."
Niklas Backstrom will be back in goal for the Wild at Calgary
November 8
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Josh Harding was named the NHL's No. 1 star of the week Monday for giving up three goals in three wins for the Wild last week. Good enough to remain the starting goaltender, right? Wrong. Harding will go back to the bench tonight to back up Niklas Backstrom when the Wild play the Flames in Calgary. Harding is not complaining; he understands that Backstrom is Minnesota's regular goaltender. "He's our go-to guy," Harding said Saturday before he defeated the St. Louis Blues 2-1 for his fourth straight victory. "I don't know if everyone hasn't realized it, but he's been having an unbelievable year, too. I think people are kind of forgetting about that.""
Niklas Backstrom says he played most of the season with shoulder injury
April 12
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom played most of the season with a sore right shoulder, he revealed Monday. Backstrom, who finished with a 22-23-5 record, a 2.66 goals-against record and a .916 save percentage, said he met with doctors Monday and they believe no surgery will be necessary. He said rehabbing the injury should be enough to get him ready for training camp in September. He said he originally hurt the shoulder in October, then aggravated it later. The shoulder problem was unrelated to the hip problem that sidelined Backstrom for four games in January."
Backstrom says too few shots, too many mistakes hurt Wild this season
April 11
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Missing the playoffs has hit Niklas Backstrom harder than a puck to the facemask. It's evident in his body language. "You play for the team," he explained. "You don't make the playoffs, you can't leave the season with a smile on your face." The fifth-year goaltender from Helsinki, Finland, bounced back from a rocky 2009-10 season to play steady and often dominant hockey this season, although some of the spark has been missing from his eyes lately. Asked about the emotional carnage to a player who helped backstop the Wild to the division title four years ago, he forced a half-smile. "I think it was when you found out that you were not going to be in the hunt this year, like two or three"
Backstrom's a glover, not a fighter
February 4
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Niklas Backstrom watched Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro get clocked in a one-punch knockout by Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Brent Johnson on Wednesday night and said, "That's why I don't fight." "I almost got into a fight once," the Wild goalie said, laughing. "It was the last game in Sweden in 2001. There was a scrum at the end, and their goalie looks at me and starts skating to me. So I bent over and ducked and he went right over. Then the refs jumped in. "I don't think I'll get into the fight in the NHL. Nothing good would come of that for me or the team." Goalie coach Bob Mason never got into a goalie vs. goalie fight, but he did fight Montreal Canadiens forward Shayne Corson once when"
Backstrom thwarts Kings in shootout shutout
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"At one point during Monday's practice, Todd Richards told his sunburned players to get their "minds and bodies" back into hockey mode. The Wild coach saw the rust that built during the All-Star break and tried to scrape it off. Tuesday night, even phosphoric acid wouldn't have eaten away the corrosion. Yet, thanks to some tremendous defensive play and one incredible Niklas Backstrom skate save, the Wild survived for a 1-0 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings. The Wild moved back into eighth in the West ... for only two hours though, thanks to Phoenix blowing a 3-0 lead and losing to San Jose. "Even watching some of the other games around the league, I think [the rust's] a pretty"
Wild glad goalie Niklas Backstrom always has their back
January 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If the Wild expect to seriously challenge for a playoff position during the final 33 games of the season, their hopes likely rest on the broad shoulders of goaltender Niklas Backstrom. Though Minnesota has dispatched two of its best skaters — Brent Burns and Martin Havlat — to play in the NHL All-Star Game this weekend in Raleigh, N.C., it's apparent Backstrom is the glue holding this team together. Since he returned from missing nine games with a hip injury, Backstrom has faced 114 shots and stopped 108. He has won two of three games, posted one shutout and produced one of the highlight saves of any season when he stopped Troy Brouwer of the Chicago Blackhawks on the doorstep in the first"
Backstrom, Wild roll into All-Star break with win
January 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Blackhawks were swarming, the 21,247 fans on hand were in full roar and the United Center ice seemed to be tilted so sharply the Wild was in danger of disappearing amid a flurry of Chicago shots. But the night was still young. The Wild saw an early 1-0 lead evaporate into a 2-1 Chicago advantage, and the defending Stanley Cup champions were smelling blood. Then a funny thing happened: The Wild took over. Riding goalie Niklas Backstrom's spectacular play, Minnesota weathered that first-period storm, then outscored the Hawks 3-0 the rest of the way for a 4-2 victory that sent everybody associated with the team into the All-Star break smiling. "On the bench we were telling each other to"
Niklas Backstrom won't need surgery, could be back in a week
January 12
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Goaltender Niklas Backstrom will not need surgery and might be able to return to the Wild lineup within a week, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Tuesday night. Backstrom, who saw a specialist for his injured hip Tuesday in Colorado, returned to the Twin Cities after learning he has a hip flexor strain. Marc J. Phillipon, who performed surgery on a torn labrum in Backstrom's hip two summers ago, "felt the labrum was still intact and fine, which is very good news," Fletcher said. The plan is to rest Backstrom for another "four or five days" to see if the symptoms subside, Fletcher said, and then decide when he might be able to return to the lineup."
Miettinen, Backstrom won't play against Bruins
January 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Antti Miettinen and Niklas Backstrom still are nursing injuries and won't play tonight against the Bruins at TD Garden, although coach Todd Richards hopes they'll be available Saturday in Pittsburgh. Miettinen will miss his second game because of a charley horse suffered in Sunday's 6-5 overtime victory over Phoenix. He participated in this morning's pregame skate. "It's his first time out on the ice (since the injury)," Richards said, "and the plan was for him to come out and skate today, and regardless of whether he felt it or not, we were going to wait until Saturday." Asked if he expected Miettinen back for the Penguins game, Richards said, "We're hoping he'll be 100 percent and ready"
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom ready to go
January 6
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Goalie Niklas Backstrom is well enough to present coach Todd Richards with a decision for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins. Jose Theodore has started the Wild's past two games, and won both, but Backstrom is recovered from an undisclosed injury and "ready to play," Richards said Wednesday after an optional practice at Harvard's Bright Arena. It seems likely one will play tonight, and the other will start Saturday at Pittsburgh. "Both have very good numbers in Boston, and Pittsburgh, too," Richards said. "We have four games in six days; we're going to need both of them." In four career starts against the Bruins, Backstrom is 3-0-1 with a 1.23 goals-against average and .955 save"
Jose Theodore's improved play means Niklas Backstrom, the Minnesota Wild's highest-paid player, will have to share time in the goal
December 15
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Wild are no strangers to the goaltender tandem. For a long time, it was a staple of the team's success, particularly in 2003 when Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson swapped games all the way to the Western Conference finals. Few would have expected such a situation this season, but that was before the Wild picked up veteran Jose Theodore to back up Niklas Backstrom. Now Minnesota has two proven goaltenders, and coach Todd Richards acknowledged Tuesday he doesn't believe he has a set starter. "Right now," he said, "we'll take it game by game, and if one of them steps to the front and can run with the ball, then that's what we'll do." It's a bold statement considering Backstrom is the"
Theodore pushing Backstrom for playing time
December 15
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"After Tuesday's practice, Wild coach Todd Richards was asked if he had decided who would start in goal for the team Thursday against Ottawa. "We have not," he said. "We'll make that decision [Wednesday]." Is this proof the Wild has gone to a goaltending tandem? Richards wouldn't describe it as such. But it's clear that some recent missteps by Niklas Backstrom combined with the strong play of Jose Theodore has turned this into a job-share situation. "Right now we take it game-by-game," Richards said. "If one of them steps up to the forefront, and can run with the ball, that's what we'll do. Theo's been pretty good, as far as consistency. Back had a really good game in Phoenix [on Thursday]."
Niklas Backstrom credits UMD alum Bob Mason with Minnesota Wild's goalie success
December 5
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Bob Mason is a relatively unknown guy who deserves a good share of the credit for the historically outstanding levels of goaltending for the Wild. In his ninth season behind the scenes with the Wild, Mason has coached Duane Roloson, Manny Fernandez, Niklas Backstrom, Josh Harding and Jose Theodore, to name a few. There isn't an average goaltender in the bunch, and Mason is partly responsible, according to Backstrom. "Every year I've been here, he's been a really big part of my game and helping me," Backstrom said. "I'm a better goalie when I leave the season than when I came into the season, and he's a big factor for that." Mason, a former top goalie at the University of Minnesota-Duluth,"
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom tries to work off his slump
December 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"It's hard to detect, but more than the weight of his bulky goalie equipment has been burdening Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom seems unflappable, showing little emotion on the ice or in the dressing room, fielding media questions with the same aplomb he wields against enemy shots. It's never about him; he picks his words and frames comments around the success of the team. "It's a team game," he explained. "Everyone is trying to chip in. You're a goalie, trying to make the saves and be there for them, because they are there for you." Two days after Backstrom was yanked in the third period of a 7-4 loss to Colorado on Saturday, he stayed out after most of his teammates were finished with their"
Struggling Backstrom gets in extra practice
December 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It was more than a half-hour before the Wild hit the ice for Wednesday's morning skate, and goaltender Niklas Backstrom and goalies coach Bob Mason already were on the Xcel Energy Center ice. Over his past three games, Backstrom -- who started the season brilliantly -- has allowed seven, six and five goals. It is not all his fault, of course. The play in front of him has contributed to what has been, at least statistically, one of the more difficult stretches of Backstrom's career. So how does Mason get Backstrom back to his usual level? In this case, by showing him how close he is to being there already. "What I've done is reassure him," Mason said. "He is doing most of the right things."
Signs of progress evident for Wild as Niklas Backstrom, defense stymie Tampa Bay
November 15
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, as the Wild were sputtering like a car with two bad cylinders, coach Todd Richards generally exited the dressing room after a loss and talked about the good things he saw on the ice. Sunday evening, after the Wild stopped Tampa Bay 4-1 behind another sterling game from goaltender Niklas Backstrom plus a stalwart team-wide effort in the defensive zone, Richards chose to focus instead on multiple turnovers by his boys. "We made things more difficult on ourselves," he said, "which seems to be the theme right now." A road win over the Lightning, in front of 14,868 at the St. Pete Times Forum, should be cause for celebration for the Wild,"
Backstrom pitches rare home shutout as Wild beat San Jose 1-0 and begin forming a new identity
November 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Andrew Brunette believes the Wild are forming an identity that might carry them to success. That identity seems to begin with superlative goaltending from Niklas Backstrom, adds a scrappier mind-set than Vancouver's Rick Rypien and sprinkles in a strong measure of good fortune. Those ingredients were enough Tuesday night to allow the Wild to escape the Xcel Energy Center with a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota's first 1-0 win at home in more than three years. "I know it wasn't pretty," coach Todd Richards said, "but we found a way to win." About the only thing missing from the Sharks' attack was the theme music from "Jaws" as they outshot the Wild 11-3, 9-6 and 16-7 in the"
Nik Backstrom is at the top of his game for Minnesota Wild
November 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 columnist Tom Powers
"The Wild were outskated, outshot and outplayed by the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. However, they were able to out-Finn the Sharks in goal. There was talk before the season that Nik Backstrom was not the right fellow to net-mind for the Wild. The theory was that with Todd Richards' new system the Wild needed an acrobat and not a tactician. Wild goalies saw plenty of odd-man rushes last season as Minnesota defensemen repeatedly were caught up ice. Backstrom is good at playing the angles. What the Wild supposedly needed was a guy who could stand on his head. Well, that talk was wrong. "That's a couple of people's opinion," Backstrom said after his 1-0 victory. "If you start to listen, it"
Backstrom takes the bite out of Sharks
November 3
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Wild played what seemed like 60 minutes of prevent defense Tuesday night against a Western Conference offensive juggernaut. But Niklas Backstrom probably could have prevented the Red Army from filling the net. Backstrom's been tremendous this first month, but the goaltender took it to a new level in lifting the Wild to its first home shutout ever against the San Jose Sharks. During its first 1-0 home victory in more than three years, the Wild -- other than a long second-period 5-on-3 that resulted in Andrew Brunette's lone goal -- basically camped out in its own end. But Backstrom, aided by some great back pressure by his defenders, kept San Jose, which scored 20 goals in its past four"
With better defense, Backstrom now sees the shots
November 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Sometimes, with Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom, you have to listen closely. It's not his accent. Backstrom's command of English is fine. It's just that when it comes to his play, it's hard to gauge how he really feels. Take Sunday, for example. The Wild had lost the night before, 3-1 to Chicago. But one of those goals was a late empty-netter, and Backstrom had played an outstanding game, stopping 29 of 31 shots and giving his team a chance to win. After an off-ice workout Sunday, Backstrom was asked about his impressive start to this season, and about his struggles last season. Classic Backstrom: It's hard to say, he said. You try to play your best every night, keep improving. And then,"
Niklas Backstrom's struggles with hometown team in Finland led him to being a star for the Wild
October 11
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Niklas Backstrom is the last guy you'd expect to show nerves. It's hard to believe that Backstrom, the Wild's No. 1 goaltender for 3 1/2 seasons and the man who carries a good share of the team's playoffs ambitions on his square shoulders this season, became so anxious during the 1999-2000 hockey season here that it threatened his hockey future. Not only did the NHL seem an impossible dream back then, but making Finland's storied 113-year-old HIFK pro team also became a mountain to climb. Backstrom, typically cooperative and generous with his time, is unwilling to talk about those days. But Matti Vaisanen, best known as the European scout who discovered Jari Kurri and a guy who formerly"
Richards: 'No worries about Nik'
September 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Niklas Backstrom, looking to rebound from a year in which he ranked 27th in goals-against average and 38th in save percentage, has looked rusty in training camp, both in scrimmages and in Wednesday's exhibition loss to St. Louis. But coach Todd Richards tried to deflect the blame from the Wild goalie Thursday. "I don't know if there's one [of the five goals] you can point the finger at Nik and say he's necessarily got to be better on," Richards said. "I have no worries about Nik at all, and I mean that completely. There's no worries at all. I've watched the way he's played in the past. I saw him play when he was at his best last year. I know the way he prepares and the type of person he"
Wild could get their walking wounded back for Sunday
March 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Wild might get some injured players back for Sunday's matinée with the Calgary Flames. Defensemen Greg Zanon (broken ankle) and Brent Burns (hip) and left winger Derek Boogaard (nose) are all listed as "possible," for the game, while goalie Niklas Backstrom, who has missed the past six games because of a groin injury, will either start or back up Josh Harding. The starting goalie will be determined Sunday morning, but at the very least, Backstrom will be available because goalie Wade Dubielewicz was reassigned to Houston of the AHL on Saturday. Winger Robbie Earl and defenseman Jaime Sifers cleared waivers Saturday. They remained with the Wild on Saturday but can be reassigned any time"
Wild goalie Josh Harding recovers after shaky re-entry; Niklas Backstrom still questionable
March 14
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Josh Harding did a 180 in the 24 hours between the Wild's 5-1 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit and their 3-2 win over the Sabres in Buffalo last week. The Wild returned to St. Paul from their victory late Friday night and worked out off the ice Saturday in preparation for a 5 p.m. game today against the St. Louis Blues at the Xcel Energy Center. Because the status of injured regular goalie Niklas Backstrom won't be known until today, Harding might get his third start in a row tonight. Whether Backstrom as well as injured defensemen Brent Burns, Shane Hnidy and Clayton Stoner can play also won't be decided until today, possibly after pregame warm-ups. Hnidy and Stoner missed the trip to"
Nicked-up Backstrom misses another game
March 13
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Niklas Backstrom missed his second consecutive game because of a groin injury, forcing the Wild to scramble to get a backup goalie here in time for Friday night's game against the Sabres. With Backstrom sidelined, Josh Harding got the start again while emergency Houston call-up Wade Dubielewicz rushed to Buffalo by way of Toronto. Dubielewicz would not have made it in time by flying into Buffalo. So he flew to Toronto and had a car service drive him to Buffalo. Backstrom tweaked his groin during the morning skate before Thursday's game at Detroit and was a late scratch. His status is day-to-day, according to Wild coach Todd Richards . "The medical staff told me not to [play],""
Backstrom's Olympic debut a blanking success
February 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"As a two-time Finnish Elite League champion, Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom has played in big games before. He has put on his native Finland's sweater before in world championships. But this is the Olympics, so before Friday night's game against Germany, Backstrom found he was oddly nervous. "I know the NHL, but I didn't know what to expect here," said Backstrom, 32. "I had been practicing good, but I've never played an Olympic game. And every game is so big. You have to win every game." Backstrom might have been nervous, but he didn't look nervous. In one of his smoothest performances since last season with the Wild, Backstrom stopped all 24 shots he faced during a 5-0 shutout over"
Backstrom is sharp, but Wild isn't
February 11
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It's the one that got away, both on the scoreboard and in the points column. Despite making a pair of huge second-period saves to keep it a 2-1 Phoenix lead Wednesday night, Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom couldn't stop the shot that ultimately gave the Coyotes the 3-2 victory in regulation. And for good reason: Backstrom, making his first game appearance since Jan. 23 because of a back injury, never really saw it. Radim Vrbata's let's-see-what-happens try at Backstrom 5 minutes, 41 seconds into the third period hit the side of the net. However, rather than careening into the corner as expected, the puck bounced into the air, clanked off the "32" of Backstrom's game sweater and landed"
Goalie Niklas Backstrom says he's fine
February 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Niklas Backstrom admitted he was worried. Backstrom, the Wild's first-string goalie who jumped back into practice during the Wild's morning skate Saturday and hopes to be ready to return to the lineup by Wednesday, was sidelined by a sore back/illness since Jan. 23 and did not seem to be getting better. He was diagnosed with a bad back, which evolved into a headache that everybody thought was the flu. Further tests ruled out the flu and led to medical work Thursday. The team did not disclose the nature of the problem, but "everything's fine now," Backstrom said. He believed it was a sore back and then an illness, but medication did not help. "You think you're sick, but then when nothing"
Wild wallop Flames
January 7
Calgary Sun
 
"Headed in opposite directions coming into the contest, few would have guessed the team that lost four straight would take down the division leader that had claimed five consecutive victories. At least not so easily. But the Minnesota Wild used first-period powerplays to overcome an early deficit and gain confidence, scored twice in the second period to take a comfortable lead, and didn't let up in the third to come away with a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at the Xcel Energy Center last night. Sort of a hockey version of the movie Freaky Friday, with the teams basically switching bodies for the night. "The first minute was good. The next 59 weren't," said Flames winger Eric Nystrom,"
Backstrom shines as travel-weary Wild keep Canadiens on the skids
December 18
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Travel is wearing on the Wild. They wear it well. After goaltender Niklas Backstrom posted 30 saves to make a 3-1 lead stand against the struggling Montreal Canadiens, the Wild extended their record to nine wins in their past 11 games and seven wins through the first 17 days of December. Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck single-handedly kept the Canadiens honest, it seemed, recording a season-high 10 hits and knocking in his sixth goal of the season to make it 3-1 and give Minnesota breathing room with 8:13 left in the third period. By winning, the Wild raised their record to 17-14-3 while handing Montreal its fifth straight defeat. But the Canadiens, after losing 2-1 at New Jersey the night"
Last chance to impress
December 13
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Michael Russo
"The NHL's regular season is four months from its finale, but for aspiring Olympians, this is the home stretch. By New Year's Day, when the United States announces its roster on NBC during the NHL's Winter Classic, all men's hockey Olympic rosters will be announced, and the Wild's Niklas Backstrom isn't taking anything for granted. Before this NHL season, Backstrom and Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff were all but penciled in as the two contenders for Finland's No. 1 netminding job when the NHL shuts down for two weeks in February for the Vancouver Games. In fact, some media outlets, such as NHL.com, said it was Backstrom's job to lose because he had played to a .920-or-better save percentage and"