LOS ANGELES – When the Wild scored seven power-play goals in the preseason, coach Mike Yeo warned that it meant nothing.

After all, in the preseason, you're typically not going up against the opponent's best penalty killers and certainly not ones who are willing to exert maximum energy or throw their bodies in front of shots.

Three games into the season, the Wild is scoreless on 11 power plays. After getting blanked on four chances and giving up a game-turning shorthanded goal during Friday's 2-1 loss at Anaheim, Yeo said the power play needed to be addressed.

Saturday it was. During practice at the Staples Center in preparation for Sunday's matinee against the Los Angeles Kings, Yeo unveiled a veteran No. 1 unit (Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter, whose average age is 30.2) and youthful No. 2 (Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin, average age 22.2).

"That young group can really challenge the first group," Yeo said. "They're really comfortable with each other. Sometimes the young kids go out there with an older guy and they defer. And you look at the personnel we have on the top group, there's no question that should be a dangerous unit, too."

Yeo especially wants to reward Coyle with more ice time. Coyle had five shots in Anaheim in only 12:33 of ice time, although he took three minor penalties.

The Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf (15) lost his balance while battling the Wild’s Charlie Coyle for a loose puck in the opening period. Coyle’s play has earned coach Mike Yeo’s praise.

"He deserves more of an opportunity and he's going to get that," Yeo said. "He's creating things when he's out there, playing with a physical presence, playing a big game and he's been frustrating for a lot of these guys to play against, and I can understand why."

Backstrom's turn

Despite Darcy Kuemper's league-leading 0.67 goals-against average, veteran Niklas Backstrom, the Wild's all-time winningest goalie, will make his season debut. It'll be his first start since Jan. 11 and first appearance since Jan. 30.

Backstrom, 36, underwent season-ending abdominal and hip surgeries last season.

"I'm real happy with Kuemp's game right now, but Backy had a great training camp, too, and we're a team and I want to make sure everybody feels part of that team," Yeo said.

Said Backstrom: "It's been a long time. It's getting better every day. So far, everything has been going pretty good, so that's a good sign."

Confusing calls

The bigger Ducks seemingly got away with taking some liberties on the Wild on Friday night, like one instance when the Wild wound up shorthanded despite Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey all dropping their gloves in a skirmish.

"We're a team that's built on speed, and I think that style of hockey, that brand of hockey is very exciting for the fans," Yeo said. "I just felt in the game there were times where our speed was very frustrating for them and creating a lot of momentum for us, and there were times where they started to do things that should have warranted power plays for us.

"This is not to get into the debate of having tough guys. I love toughness, too, but there's no question it's hard to build your team only around speed if that stuff isn't taken care of by giving us a chance to go on the power play when that happens."

Ryan Kesler wasn't disciplined further for his charging major on Granlund as time expired.

Etc.

As planned, Nate Prosser and rookie Christian Folin will be the Wild's third defense pair Sunday and Keith Ballard and Matt Dumba will take the game off. Kyle Brodziak is also expected to be scratched for the second game in a row.