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Bachman’s ‘opened up some eyes’ in Edmonton, will start second straight

RichardBachman

Step on up, Richard Bachman. You’re the next candidate for Edmonton’s starting goalie gig.

On Tuesday, the club announced that Bachman -- who starred in his Oilers debut on Sunday against Los Angeles -- would be back in goal tonight against Toronto.

Bachman, 26, was something of an afterthought upon signing a one-year deal with Edmonton in July. The club already had Devan Dubnyk and Jason LaBarbera in the fold, suggesting Bachman was brought in to battle for the No. 2 gig, but most likely to be the starter for AHL Oklahoma City.

And Bachman was exactly that to begin the year.

He appeared in eight games for the Barons, posting a 3-4-1 record with a 2.37 GAA and .925 save percentage. His fortune within the Oilers organization changed on Sunday, though, when he stepped in and gave Edmonton its best goaltending effort of the year, making 47 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Kings.

“I thought he made it look real routine,” Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins said. “There was a couple times, like I said, a big save, but it was just business as usual. He wasn’t rattled in there with the amount of shots he was taking.

“I thought he kept himself real composed which kept our bench composed and our play composed. Good on that kid. He has opened up some eyes very quickly.”