Calgary tabs Niklas Backstrom to start in goal
Calgary Flames netminder Niklas Backstrom will man the net in Thursday's road game at the Minnesota Wild.
Backstrom stopped 21 of 22 shots in a win in his Flames' debut on Sunday. It was a strong outing for Backstrom, who was making his first start since January 13, 2015. Tonight will be an ultra-special game for the 38-year-old, who will be making his return to Minnesota, where he played the first nine years of his NHL career. The Wild come in having won three in a row.
We project Backstrom to permit 2.51 goals on 30.08 shots with a 36 percent chance of getting the win. He's our No. 12 goalie on an 11-game night.