Backstrom, Wild Beat Blackhawks 1-0

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Niklas Backstrom and the Minnesota defense picked up where they left off.

Backstrom made 27 saves, Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored, and the Wild beat the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.

Backstrom, the unflappable goalie from Finland, was given a two-year, $6.2 million contract in June that led to the trade of Manny Fernandez to Boston. In his first game under the burden of the big money and the starting job, Backstrom was just as good as he was as a 29-year-old rookie who helped the Wild make the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

He didn't give up many rebounds and didn't budge when the Blackhawks had a brief 5-on-3 midway through the second period.

Nikolai Khabibulin wasn't bad himself in the other net. He stopped 23 shots, letting only one get by him in the middle frame when Minnesota's attack was the strongest.

The four-time All-Star has not played up to his reputation or his contract with Chicago, posting a goals-against average of 3.06 over his first two seasons with this young club.

The Blackhawks introduced Patrick Kane on the right wing after using the first selection in this summer's draft to take him. The 18-year-old, paired with fellow rookie Jonathan Toews, has given Chicago the hope of more offense and a return to competitiveness after several bleak years.

Toews, the third overall draft pick in 2006, was scratched because of a broken finger, delaying his debut by at least one game. Kane had a late chance to tie it, but his wrist shot from the left circle with less than 1 minute remaining was smothered by Backstrom.

The Wild are further along in their development, as Bouchard - the first-round selection in 2002 - showed in the second period.

Coming off a 20-goal season and placed on a second line that coach Jacques Lemaire has raved about with Brian Rolston and new center Eric Belanger, Bouchard got the first goal of 2007-08 for Minnesota.

Rolston took the puck to the blue line and fed Belanger, who went to the corner and sent a quick pass across the crease for Bouchard to knock it over and past Khabibulin's stick. The Wild almost had a second goal less than 2 minutes later, when Stephane Veilleux's shot from between the circles hit the crossbar and was signaled good on the ice. The video review, however, wiped it out.

This was an even game a bit like the old North Stars-Blackhawks feuds in the Norris Division. It included a smattering of cold stares, shoves - and two fights involving Minnesota enforcer Derek Boogaard. He served seven penalty minutes.

Notes:@ The Wild gave up the fewest goals in the league last season at 2.24 per game. The Blackhawks were second-to-last in the NHL in scoring with 2.38 goals per game. ... Former Minnesota defenseman Andrei Zyuzin is on injured reserve with Chicago because of a strained groin.