Afternoon from frigid Calgary, where there's been a light snowfall since we've arrived and I've learned not to go cheap with the gloves.

My fingertips have gone from frozen to vibrating as I bang on this keyboard.

Coach Todd Richards was under the weather this morning, so he didn't take the ice and left before the players were off. But he talked to us beforehand and said Niklas Backstrom will return to the net.

Richards made clear that Backstrom is the Minnesota Wild and he's still the guy. He didn't want frustration to set in with Backstrom, who's started only six of the past 13 games. Only three of the seven non-starts were non-back-to-back situations though, or games he normally would have started as the No. 1 -- Nov. 29 at Calgary, Dec. 1 vs. Phoenix and last game vs. Ottawa.

His last two starts before the Anaheim stinker -- home vs. Calgary and at Phoenix -- were "better" said Richards following an awful stretch. In six starts since a 2-1 overtime win Nov. 17 vs. Anaheim, Backstrom's save percentage has dropped from .938 to .914 and his goals against average has risen from 1.91 to 2.75.

Matt Cullen will return after missing three games with a groin injury. Cal Clutterbuck, who missed practice yesterday because he's banged up, says he's playing. Clutterbuck will be on Hockey Night in Canada's After Hours after the game with Scott Oake and Kevin Weekes, whom I covered back in the day in F.L.A.

It looks like Brad Staubitz will be scratched.

Also, defenseman Cam Barker returned home to Winnipeg for a personal reason. He's expected to rejoin the team in Minnesota tomorrow, so Clayton Stoner will play for the first time since Nov. 26. Stoner missed five games with an upper body injury, then was a healthy scratch the last four. He's also only played 2 games in the past 15 games because he was a healthy scratch in four games before playing two in a row.

So, look for his ice time to be pretty well managed tonight.

Jared Spurgeon, who if you remember made his NHL debut on his 21st birthday Nov. 29, is from nearby Edmonton. His parents, Barry and Debbi, and grandmother, Joyce, will drive down to see Jared play for the first time in the NHL. Remember, last month Spurgeon's parents missed the debut because they were in Austria visiting Spurgeon's brother, who plays there.

What else? Lots of talk about Donald Fehr being named Executive Director of the NHLPA today. I'll either put that in tomorrow's notebook or write a future Sunday column on it, or both.

James Sheppard skated on his own in a track suit the other day for the first time. Still no timetable for his return, but he said he felt like a "kid on a pond."

Holiday roster freeze starts 11:59 PM tomorrow and ends 12:01 AM on Dec 28. Can't trade, waive or loan players who are on NHL roster.

Three huge division games before the two-day Christmas break where NHL teams are not allowed to do anything (Dec. 24-25).

I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular in the locker room this morning due to my blog the other day. I got a couple "there's 50 games left" from the guys and "you're burying us."

My only point is I've seen this traffic jam before and it usually doesn't end well on a league where some games are worth two points, some worth three. Wins must start to come right now. The urgency is now vs. Calgary in a home-and-home. The Flames are one point ahead in the standings.

I'll be interested to see this team's character this next week.