Richard (The King) Bachman rolled double zeroes last weekend, giving him absolute power among NCAA goaltenders.
The Colorado College freshman from Highlands Ranch backstopped the Tigers to 3-0 and 4-0 victories at Minnesota-Duluth, making 60-of-60 combined saves. Statistically, the shutouts made Bachman the finest amateur goalie in the country.
He leads the NCAA in goals-against average (1.71) and save percentage (.935), ranks second in winning percentage (.796) and is tied for third in shutouts (three).
If nothing else, Bachman (21-5-1) will be voted the all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association first-team goalie. He likely will be named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award and, depending on how far he takes the WCHA-leading Tigers, he might be a solid bet to win national player of the year honors.
Only one freshman has won the Hobey Baker Award: Paul Kariya of Maine in 1993. No Colorado-born player has captured it.
Bachman, who grew up playing in the Littleton Hockey Association, could become CC’s third winner in the past six years. The Tigers’ Peter Sejna won it in 2003, and CC’s Marty Sertich in 2005.
Colorado hockey fans have plenty of time to check out Bachman and the fiery Tigers, who host Minnesota State in a two-game series this weekend at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
CC (23-8-1) concludes the regular season with a home-and-home series against Denver on March 7 (at DU) and March 8 (Colorado Springs). The Tigers will begin the WCHA first-round, best-of-three playoffs at home, and unofficially will play at the World Arena- hosted West Regional to begin the NCAA Tournament.
The 16-team national tournament concludes April 10-12 at the Pepsi Center, the host of the Frozen Four, so Bachman conceivably could play 11 of the Tigers’ possible 13 final games in Colorado.
Catch him while you can. Bachman, 20, is a prized prospect of the Dallas Stars, who selected him in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2006 NHL draft. Bachman previously said he wants to earn a degree at CC, but Dallas goalie Marty Turco, 32, isn’t getting any younger and Bachman might be too good to remain in college.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
WELCOME HOME, CHAUNCEY
Denver’s favorite son returns.
So, whom do you root for tonight at the Pepsi Center? The Nuggets or Chauncey Billups? The home team or Denver’s favorite sports son?
The affable Billups had 11 assists in helping the Detroit Pistons to a 116-86 blowout of host Phoenix on Sunday, ending the Suns’ 11-game winning streak against the Eastern Conference. Billups is leading the Pistons (41-15) in assists per game (7.2) and free-throw percentage (.910), and is second in points (17.5) and steals per game (1.3).
No doubt, there will be cheers at both ends of the court when the Nuggets host the Pistons tonight. And Billups, a three-time NBA all-star, won’t lack for positive attention.
NHL TRADE DEADLINE
Will Avs make deal by Tuesday?
A year ago, NHL teams made 25 trades on deadline day, including two small ones by the Avalanche. Colorado sent forward Brad May to the Anaheim Ducks for backup goalie Michael Wall and obtained forward Scott Parker from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2008 sixth-round draft pick.
What will the Avs do this year? Any deal likely won’t unfold until the final day, or final hour. Call it Super Tuesday, NHL style.
Just hours after the trade deadline passes, the Avalanche will play at Calgary to resume a five- game road trip that concludes Wednesday night against the Canucks at Vancouver.
PREP HOCKEY SEMIFINALS
Icers face off in Springs.
The state hockey semifinals will be played Thursday on the Olympic-size ice sheet at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
Top-seeded Battle Mountain plays No. 5 Ralston Valley at 6 p.m., followed by No. 2 Regis against No. 3 Lewis-Palmer.
The state championship game is Saturday on the World Arena ice, which is 15 feet wider than the NHL-size sheets most prep teams regularly play on.
COLLEGE HOOPS WINDING DOWN
Conference tournaments on horizon.
None of the six Front Range Division I men’s basketball teams appears bound for much postseason success, so the end could be near.
This week’s games of interest are Wyoming at Colorado State and Baylor at Colorado on Wednesday, and Colorado hosting Iowa State on Saturday.
The University of Denver, Air Force, Northern Colorado and CSU play on the road Saturday.
AUTO RACING COULD RETURN
Open-wheelers figure it out.
Colorado once was one of the few states with annual Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series races. Now we have neither.
The good news is, with a unified series, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region figure to be a hot spot for a return — and probably with another street race in Denver.
The IRL used to stop at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, now closed. Both series would prefer to be closer to Denver, and the Champ Car race around the Pepsi Center was a thing of beauty before it ran out of gas. A unified series could bring it back.
