Harding tries to regain trust

Backup Josh Harding rode the bench on the second of back-to-back games, and he realizes he must play better than he has so far this season.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: October 25, 2009 - 12:46 AM

Ten games into a season in which backup goalie Josh Harding was supposed to see more playing time, the Wild came back with No. 1 goalie Niklas Backstrom in the second of back-to-back games Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

In two starts, Harding is 0-2 with a 5.50 goals-against average and .738 save percentage.

"Everybody knows I can do better, myself especially," Harding said. "Even in practice, I haven't been that sharp. I'm trying to fix my game. But I'm disappointed in myself.

"I'm letting the team down and I'm letting Backy down. My job is to give Backy a rest and do the job whenever I get the shot. He's a great goalie, and we have a lot of games, and he needs the rest, too. I have to work hard and get back to the way I'm used to playing."

Wild goalie coach Bob Mason said starting Backstrom on Saturday has more to do with the state of the team than with the state of Harding.

"We've dug ourselves a hole, and we've got to climb out of it," Mason said. "It's nothing against Josh. We've got to have our top guy going, and everybody knows it's No. 32 [Backstrom]."

Two games doesn't make a season, so Harding has got plenty of time to improve his play.

In his last start Oct. 16 in Edmonton, four of the five goals were Grade-A scoring chances.

"I keep telling him he's good enough to stop pucks like that because he's got enough talent and we've seen him do it before," Mason said. "So he's just not coming up with the huge save, but he's capable of doing that."

The one bad goal Harding gave up came right after he dropped a puck he normally swallows.

"The one thing I notice about Backy is he makes the big save at the big moment, or the routine save at the big moment," Harding said. "I have to stay mentally sharp the whole game. I can't take a minute off. It just seems when I take a minute off, they score. I believe in myself and I know I can be lot better than I've been. I've got to get everybody's trust back."

Because Backstrom has a four-year deal and no-trade clause, Harding knows his future is likely elsewhere. Toronto might be looking for a goalie, and Cristobal Huet is struggling in Chicago.

"I'm part of this team right now. Whenever, if it happens, I'll worry about it when the day comes. But right now, I'm so proud be part of this organization," Harding said.

Johnsson will miss 'couple weeks'

Defenseman Kim Johnsson, who led the Wild in average ice time the past two seasons, will miss a "couple weeks" because of an upper-body injury. John Scott replaced Johnsson on the blue line Saturday.

Cal Clutterbuck (high ankle sprain) and Petr Sykora (groin), who missed five games each, returned, with Clutterbuck scoring the winning goal in OT.

Etc.

• Third-year center James Sheppard, expected to thrive in Richards' more aggressive system, was scratched for the first time since his rookie year. In nine games, Sheppard has no points, 11 shots, is minus-5 and has the NHL's worst faceoff percentage (.347, minimum 65 faceoffs). "It's a coaching decision to get him out of the lineup," coach Todd Richards said.

Benoit Pouliot also was scratched.

"Sometimes it helps to get away from the game. You can learn a lot by watching," Richards said.

• Derek Boogaard (ill) didn't play for the second night in a row.

• The Wild reassigned forwards Andy Hilbert and Nathan Smith to Houston of the AHL after Saturday's victory.

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