Niklas Backstrom hadn't played in an NHL game since Jan. 13, 2015, but he backstopped Calgary to a 4-1 victory in Montreal on Sunday night.
Backstrom, traded by the Wild to the Flames on Feb. 29 after gathering dust on the bench behind goalies Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper, will start at Xcel Energy Center against his old team on Thursday.
Backstrom's last victory as an NHL goalie was on Dec. 13, 2014, a span of 15 months.
"I can't even remember my last game," Backstrom told the Calgary Herald after Sunday's victory. "The guys … I've been here for three weeks but it feels like I've been here for many years. They've really welcomed me well here."
"It's special, for sure. It's different than a normal game. The biggest thing was to get a win."
The Flames are out of the Western Conference playoff race, and coach Bob Hartley said he'd play Backstrom on Thursday against the Wild.
The Calgary Herald story is here.
