Bachman: From Boise to the Bigs

Madison Square Garden - the Mecca of professional sports. It is a venue that has been stage to legendary performances since 1968. In 1995, Michael Jordan scored 55 points in his second game after coming out of retirement. Rangers legend Mark Messier played in his last NHL game at MSG in 2004 after a 25-year career that included 1,756 games. And then there?s Richard Bachman. In just his second NHL start last night, rookie Richard Bachman added to the lore of the 43-year-old arena by shutting out the New York Rangers in a 1-0 Dallas Stars? win. And while his performance might not be historic enough to be counted along with Jordan and Messier, the 24-year-old former Steelhead has definitely made his presence felt. In three NHL appearances this season, Bachman has stopped 71 of 72 shots for an uncanny .986 save percentage. ?He?s a great goalie, he?s tough to shoot against in practice and he reads the play really well,? said teammate Eric Nystrom in an interview with the Stars? Web site. ?He?s been playing phenomenal and hopefully his head doesn?t swell up too much. He?s been awesome, you just want to keep him playing that way.? What?s just as impressive as his numbers though, is Bachman?s calm demeanor and laid-back nature, a trait that Steelheads fans are quite familiar with and his NHL fans and peers learning about. ?He?s a very calm guy, he?s not a nervous character at all,? Nystrom said in the same interview. ?He?s very laid-back and he?s got a little intensity to him and he?s really focused.? After starting for two seasons at Colorado College, Bachman was selected by the Stars in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Bachman spent some time with Texas at the AHL level, but played most of the 2009-10 season with Idaho. In 35 games for the Steelheads, Bachman recorded a 22-7-4 record with four shutouts and a 2.28 goals-against average. Bachman helped lead the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup finals with a 6-1 playoff record, including a .943 SP and 1.59 GAA. His progression in Idaho landed him back in Texas with a chance to prove himself at the next level. He didn?t disappoint. In 55 contests at Texas during the 2010-11 season, Bachman posted a 28-19-5 record with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. He also posted six shutouts. After starting 2011-12 with a 7-5-1 record, a 3.13 GAA and a .887 SP for Texas, Bachman was recalled by Dallas on November 27 after Kari Lehtonen suffered a groin injury. ?It?s fun being up here with these guys and I?m just trying to take it all in and do it one day at a time and see what happens from here,? said Bachman in an interview with the Stars? Web site. ?It?s amazing, it?s fun, I?m glad I finally got a chance to see Madison Square Garden, so that was fun too.? (Article written by Media Relations intern Jake Drzayich)