Backstrom goes extra mile in notching a big milestone

His 100th victory included 37 stops and heroics in a 6-on-3 situation. Mikko Koivu added two goals and an assist, too.

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

Last update: November 10, 2009 - 11:36 PM

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WILD 5, TORONTO 2

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Niklas Backstrom didn't view his 100th NHL victory as the milestone everyone else saw. The real triumph, he said Tuesday, was in getting to this point.

The Finnish goaltender didn't make it to hockey's grandest stage until 2006, when he was 28 years old. Tuesday, he solidified his place as one of its finest masked men in a 5-2 victory over Toronto. In the game's final minute, with the Wild down two skaters and the Maple Leafs' goalie pulled, Backstrom held firm under incredible pressure to give his team its first-ever win at Air Canada Centre.

The Wild supported him with an energetic, confident effort, scoring more than three goals on the road for the first time this season. While everyone else wanted to talk about Backstrom's 100th triumph, the goalie only wanted to talk about his team's second in a row on the road and its fourth in five games.

"I think this win is very big for us,'' he said, deflecting questions about his personal mark as nimbly as he turned away 37 of 39 shots. "We battled hard, and our three [penalty-killing] guys did a great job there at the end. It's a good start for the road trip, because we need every point and every win."

The Wild is getting more of each these days, largely because of its golden goalie. Backstrom made his NHL debut in the 2006-07 season and has a record of 100-53-22. He entered Tuesday's game with a .922 career save percentage, tops in the NHL during that span, and his goals-against average of 2.27 is tied for the league's second-best mark over that period.

He was the only person who wasn't eager to talk about what he has done for the Wild. There was plenty to praise Tuesday: Mikko Koivu's three-point effort, Marek Zidlicky's timely offense, a vibrant power play that produced two goals, a penalty kill that shut out the Maple Leafs on four chances. But when the Wild wobbled, Backstrom pulled it back from the brink.

The teams ended the first period tied 1-1 before a three-goal second period gave the Wild a 4-1 lead. Zidlicky broke the stalemate with a power- play goal from the left circle at 5 minutes, 44 seconds, and in the period's final 2:31, Koivu and Greg Zanon scored only 26 seconds apart.

But with 1:55 remaining in the game, former Gophers forward Phil Kessel split the defense, skated in alone and scored. The Leafs pulled goalie Jonas Gustavsson, and with 1:09 to go, Koivu knocked the puck over the glass and was penalized for delay of game.

Twelve seconds later, Zidlicky was called for tripping. That left the Wild with three skaters to face the Leafs' six for a grueling 57 seconds. With solid support from his few helpmates, Backstrom stopped nine shots to preserve the victory.

"I don't think there were any anxious moments on the bench," Wild coach Todd Richards said, underscoring his faith in his goalie. "We didn't manage the puck like we needed to late in the third period, and we gave them some momentum. But Nik was great.

"It seemed like the puck got through, but he stood his ground. You watch him, and he looks like he's in control all the time. He's a goalie that has great composure."

Backstrom said he wasn't nervous, either. With skaters jostling around him and pucks flying at him one after another, he remained as unflappable in No. 100 as he has since he reached the milestone he still considers No. 1: his first game in a Wild sweater.

"It was not an easy road to get here," he said. "It was a lot of hard work and tough times. And when you get here, you really enjoy every night. Now, I'm living the dream."