European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 11 2007 stars and stripes Page 35 wild Rookie Backstrom ready for first playoffs by Jon Krawczynski the associated press St Paul Rolston thought Back to training Camp in september when a Skinny quiet Guy from Finland walked into the dressing room i didst know anything about him Rolston said he want alone few Minnesota players knew who Niklas Backstrom was when he signed with the wild and his soft spoken Demeanour kept that anonymity through much of Camp now this 29yearold Rookie is the key to their Suc Cess Backstrom will enter wednesday night s game 1 of the playoffs at Anaheim As the teams unquestioned no 1 goalie with a league leading 197 goal against average and 929 save percentage ifs been a meteoric Rise for Backstrom who entered the season just hoping to beat out Josh hard ing to Back up Manny Fernandez i dont even think he was supposed to get a Chance to play an exhibition game this year until Harding went Down with a Groin pull Rolston said Hes just a tremendous competitor Hes been great for us i obviously didst know much about him but i think Hes one of the keys Why we turned it around me second half Backstrom took Over in late january when Fernan Dez went Down with a knee injury and never looked Back he is 1934 in his past 28 starts and has Rele gated Fernandez who signed a three year lion Extension last season to be the main Man to Spectator status Fernandez knee is still bothering him and hard ing will be the no 2 goalie when the playoffs begin but this is Backstrom Job a fact even he never saw coming for me the season has been like a dream Back Strom said you dont want to Wake up from it you want to continue As Long As possible just How Long will largely be up to How the Rookie handles his first taste of the nil postseason by All Paul Minnesota Rookie goalie Niklas Backstrom 32 enters the Stanley cup playoffs with a 197 goal against average and a 929 save percentage accounts playoff hockey is Light years ahead of the regular season in Speed intensity and Media Atten Tion the closest experience Backstrom has is leading Karpat Oulu to Bac Toback finnish elite league titles in 200304 and 200405 but at 29 Backstrom is hardly the Standard excitable Rookie so coach Jacques Lemaire int concerned about the lights being too Bright i dont think so Lemaire said Hes a Guy that really looks in control i dont think anything will shake him up Hes solid mentally and Hes been the same Guy that was there the first Day he came in he Hast changed which is great wide open quest for cup last years nil finalists Edmonton and Champion Carolina did not make it Back to the playoffs opening the door for 16 remaining teams to be crowned the new Stanley cup Champion no 1 sabres no 8 islanders Eastern conference 53227 403012 scoring shots on goal save pet Power play Goa penalty killing 813 818 no 1 red wings no 8 flames Western conference scoring shots on goal save pet Power play Goa penalty killing 501913 432910 307 311 846 804 no 2 devils no 7 lightning 49249 44335 no 2 mighty ducks no 7 wild 482014 48268 no 3 Thrashers no 6 rangers 432811 423010 no 3 canucks no 6 stars 49267 50257 869 844 no 4 senators no 5 penguins 48259 472411 no 4 predators no 5 Sharks 51238 51265 source nil a Stanley cup playoffs first round Besto seven Eastern conference Buffalo is by slanders thursday by islanders at Buffalo saturday by islanders at Buffalo monday Buffalo at by islanders wednesday april Buffalo at by Island ers Friday april 20 by islanders at Buffalo if necessary sunday april 22 Buffalo at by islanders if necessary tuesday april 24 by islanders at Buffalo if necessary new Jersey is Tampa Bay thursday Tampa Bay at new Jersey saturday Tampa Bay at new Jersey monday new Jersey at Tampa Bay wednesday april 18 new Jersey at Tampa Bay Friday april 20 Tampa Bay at new Jersey if necessary sunday april 22 new Jersey at Tampa Bay if necessary tuesday april 24 Tampa Bay at new Jer sey if necessary Atlanta is by rangers thursday by rangers at Atlanta saturday by rangers at Atlanta tuesday april 17 Atlanta at by rangers wednesday april 18 Atlanta at by rang ers Friday april 20 by rangers at Atlanta if necessary sunday april 22 Atlanta at by rangers if necessary monday april 23 by rangers at Atlanta if necessary Ottawa is Pittsburgh wednesday Pittsburgh at Ottawa saturday Pittsburgh at Ottawa sunday Ottawa at Pittsburgh tuesday april 17 Ottawa at Pittsburgh thursday april 19 Pittsburgh at Ottawa if necessary sunday april 22 Ottawa at Pittsburgh if necessary tuesday april 24 Pittsburgh at Ottawa if necessary Western conference Detroit is Calgary thursday Calgary at Detroit sunday Calgary at Detroit tuesday april 17 Detroit at Calgary thursday april 19 Detroit at Calgary saturday april 21 Calgary at Detroit if necessary sunday april 22 Detroit at Calgary if Nec Essary tuesday april 24 Calgary at Detroit if Nec Essary Anaheim is Minnesota wednesday Minnesota at Anaheim Friday Minnesota at Anaheim sunday Anaheim at Minnesota tuesday april 17 Anaheim at Minnesota thursday april 19 Minnesota at Anaheim if necessary saturday april 21 Anaheim at Minnesota if necessary monday april 23 Minnesota at Anaheim if necessary Vancouver is Dallas wednesday Dallas at Vancouver Friday Dallas at Vancouver sunday Vancouver at Dallas tuesday april 17 Vancouver at Dallas thursday april 19 Dallas at Vancouver if necessary saturday april 21 Vancouver at Dallas if necessary monday april 23 Dallas at Vancouver if necessary Nashville is san Jose wednesday san Jose at Nashville Friday san Jose at Nashville monday Nashville at san Jose wednesday april 18 Nashville at san Jose Friday april san Jose at Nashville if necessary sunday april 22 Nashville at san Jose if necessary tuesday april 24 san Jose at Nashville if necessary nil Many playoff teams relying on inexperience nil from Back Page in his first nil season Back Strom posted the lowest goal against average 197 and highest save percentage no team will be relying on inexperienced players More than the penguins who will be facing the Ottawa senators who often come in with tons of potential but have yet to reach the Stanley cup finals Crosby posted an no lest 120 Points including 84 assists became the youngest scor ing Champion in nil history four months before Bis 20th birth Day he is the first teenager in major sports history to win a scor ing title if he and Rookie Evgeni Malkin can Supply the scoring punch and Young goalie Marcandre Fleury can stand tall in the net the penguins could be the latest team to spoil the senators postseason plans you cant make up for the experience unless youve actually gone through it Crosby said Ive been through situations be fore not in the nil but in juniors and world juniors that i can use to prepare me i dont have sense of being nervous but a sense of being focused the penguins get started in Ottawa on wednesday along with Minnesota at Anaheim san Jose at Nashville in the wests 45 matchup and no 6 Dallas at no 3 Vancouver new Yorks rangers open at Southeast Winner Atlanta on thursday the first playoff game in the Thrashers seven nil sea sons Calgary will be at Detroit Tampa Bay visits Atlantic Champi on new Jersey and the islanders begin their Tough series at Buffalo which lost game 7 of last years Eastern conference finals at Carolina we got a taste about what its All about sabres Forward Jason Pominville said it makes you want to get More and More Hope fully we can get to that next step but even the inexperienced know about playoff hunger i dont think you play hockey to play the regular season and make the playoffs Crosby said you play to win the playoffs Gregory Atlanta Vyacheslav Kozlov 13 and Marian Hossa rear Lead the Thrashers into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history