Backstrom stopped just 14 of 17 shots in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Senators. Craig Anderson faced twice as many shots from Backstrom's mates on the other end, but turned in a perfect performance. While Darcy Kuemper has cooled lately after his dominant beginning to the year, Backstrom hasn't yet turned in a save mark better than .893 in any of his three starts, so he's not likely to cut into Kuemper's playing time much.

Backstrom will be between the pipes for Thursday's game against the Senators, Chad Graff of The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Backstrom will start his third game of the season, and first since Oct. 28, Thursday night. He will take on an Ottawa team that has lost four of its last six games entering Thursday's contest.

Backstrom gave up three goals on 28 shots in Tuesday's win over the Bruins. A day after having the Rangers come back on them from 3-0, the Wild mounted a comeback of their own from down 3-1, and Backstrom held strong in the third period to be the beneficiary. Darcy Kuemper has outplayed him quite thoroughly in the early going, though, and it'd be highly unsurprising if the Wild were to go back to the kid Thursday against the Sharks.

Backstrom will be in goal for Tuesday's game against the Bruins, Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Backstrom will get the nod Tuesday night and give regular goaltender Darcy Kuemper a night off. He will take on a Boston offense that started slowly but tallied 19 goals over its last five games.

Backstrom stopped made 14 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Kings on Sunday. Making his first appearance since January, Backstrom wasn't bad but picked up the loss nonetheless. With Darcy Kuemper's strong play to start the year, Backstrom will likely continue to remain as the backup.

Backstrom will be the starter for Minnesota's game against the Kings on Sunday, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider reports. Backstrom will be making his first start of the year for the Wild giving Darcy Kuemper a rest. Last season, Backstrom appeared in 21 games finishing with a 5-11-2 record and a .899 save percentage.

Backstrom will make his first start of the season Sunday against the Kings, Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. What was thought to be a timeshare in goal between Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper to start the season has quickly devolved into a one-sided competition, as the red-hot Kuemper has been in the net for the Wild's first three turns. It's hard to argue with coach Mike Yeo for riding the young goaltender, who set a franchise record with a 163-minute shutout streak to open the season. Backstrom will spell Kuemper on Sunday, but even with a decent performance against the Kings, he seems unlikely to usurp Kuemper as Yeo's preferred option in goal.

Backstrom will likely make his season debut Sunday against the Kings, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Backstrom began the season in a platoon with Darcy Keumper, but Keumper's shutouts in his first two games could make Backstrom have a more limited backup role. The Wild likely want to get Backstrom a start early in the season, but it's possible Kuemper could remain in net Sunday if he stays hot.

Backstrom will begin the season in a platoon with Darcy Keumper in goal with the better performer getting the bulk of starts, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. It's not clear who will start the Wild's first game, but it looks like Kuemper and Backstrom will split starts until a primary goalie emerges. Both played well in the preseaon, but Kuemper may have the early edge since he started the final preseason game.

Backstrom appears to be losing ground in the battle for the No. 1 goalie gig with Darcy Kuemper, Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Backstrom was the frontrunner for the starting job entering camp, but after Kuemper reported to the Wild upon agreeing to a new contract with the team, the declining veteran looks on track to eventually settle into a reserve role. The 36-year-old has performed respectably in training camp with 29 saves on 32 shots over two appearances, but the memory of last season's 5-11-2 record, 3.02 GAA and .899 save percentage will probably make the Wild somewhat reluctant to use him regularly. Though some of his struggles could be attributed to injury, the youthful Kuemper posted far better numbers as a rookie and probably gives the Wild a better chance at ascending to the Western Conference's elite in 2014-15. Expect Backstrom's long tenure in Minnesota to allow him to cut into Kuemper's workload early in the season, but Kuemper should soon separate himself as the team's clear No. 1 option.