Watch Minnesota Wild vs Edmonton Oilers Live Streaming

Watch NHL : Minnesota Wild vs Edmonton Oilers Live Streaming, Starts at 9:00 PM ET, March 5, 2010.

The Minnesota Wild are hoping for a string of big performances from Niklas Backstrom down the stretch as they try to reach the playoffs. That’s exactly what he’s delivered in his career against the Edmonton Oilers.

Backstrom looks to follow his second shutout of the season by continuing his domination of the Oilers when the Northwest Division rivals meet Friday night in Edmonton.

Minnesota (31-27-4) came out strong following the Olympic break with a 4-0 victory at Calgary on Wednesday behind Backstrom’s 29 saves. He recorded his 19th career shutout after allowing a total of 10 goals in his two previous road games.

Backstrom’s best record against any opponent is his 14-1-0 mark with a 1.64 goals-against average in 17 career starts against Edmonton (19-38-6). He’s posted a 1.23 GAA in winning his last four starts against the Oilers.

Minnesota is 2-1 against Edmonton, with the home team winning each matchup. Though they’re only two spots ahead of the league-worst Oilers in the Western Conference, the Wild are within four points of the eighth and final playoff berth.

As Minnesota pushes for the postseason, Edmonton is clearly in rebuilding mode and the team traded away three experienced defensemen in separate deals before Wednesday’s deadline. Lubomir Visnovsky w

as sent to Anaheim, Denis Grebeshkov to Nashville and Steve Staios to Calgary.

Due to the departures, Minnesota native Tom Gilbert logged more than 26 minutes for the first time this season in a 5-2 loss at Chicago on Wednesday. Gilbert leads all Oilers defensemen in ice time.

Edmonton surrounded Gilbert with a largely inexperienced group of defensemen, including recent AHL call-ups Dean Arsene, Taylor Chorney, Theo Peckham and Johan Motin.