Niklas Backstrom

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.

What It Means:

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.