NCAA: BTO - Bachman, Tigers in Overdrive

Backstopped by the strong goaltending of Dallas Stars' draft pick Richard Bachman, the Colorado College Tigers are off to a fierce start in a competitive WCHA by dominating conference play thanks to their shutdown defensive play. Along with Bachman, McKeen's profiles several Tigers eager to make an impact this season.

Richard Bachman (Dal), G, Colorado College

Freshman goaltender that has posted outstanding personal statistics and a lot of wins .. his best attribute is his hockey sense and mental toughness, Bachman is not overly quick but he makes up for that with outstanding positioning, patience, and by playing his angles properly .. never panics in the net with fluid and controlled lateral movement along with the ability to recover quickly after making the initial save .. likes to give the shooter five-hole and then take it away with his air-tight butterfly .. plays bigger in the crease than his size would suggest, as he challenges appropriately and covers both the lower and upper portions of the net well while in the butterfly .. his legs are fairly quick and he uses his glove hand well to suck up shots up high, although his rebound control overall needs refinement, as he's prone to kicking out some juicy ones on low shots that he should be able to steer into the corners .. doesn't move the puck up the ice well but he does an adequate job helping his defenseman breakdown the opposition's forecheck .. a solid goalie that makes the puck hit him.

Chad Rau (Tor), C, Colorado College

Offensively gifted and aware center that must continue to conquer his lack of size .. while he isn't a burner, Rau skates very well with the puck, as he displays understated quickness and agility .. skilled with exceptional offensive instincts, Rau is patient with the puck, as he will straddle his way through traffic laterally to open up shooting and passing lanes .. can make creative passes in tight around the net but his bread and butter is his ability to finish, as he owns a dynamic release that propels his heavy and precisely accurate shot that he can release at full speed while coming down the wing .. lacks height but he's stocky and will built, although size is still his main concern .. an okay defender, Rau is utilized on the penalty kill mostly for his ability to create turnovers and generate offensive chances, as he's a talented shorthanded-goal scorer .. not a lock to make the NHL but he has a chance and should have the Maple Leafs brass impressed with his progress.

Scott McCulloch (Chi), LW, Colorado College

Big and strong two-way winger with decent mobility .. lacks explosiveness in acceleration but he's a fine skater for his size with adequate foot speed and the ability to gain a step on the opposition before bulling his way to the net .. doesn't do anything fancy offensively, as he simply looks to get the puck on the net with his hard but inaccurate shot that needs to be released quicker .. displays the vision to spot the open man but lacks the finesse to hit him with a pass .. adequate physical presence that is fairly strong along the walls and on the puck when driving the net, although he would benefit from a nastier-physical edge .. plays on both special teams units, although he's more at home on the penalty kill where he displays his sharp marking skills and strong defensive support .. should at least round out to a nice checker at the AHL level.

Tyler Johnson (2008), C, Colorado College

Offensive center that is struggling to work his way around his lack of size to score .. blessed with very quick feet and a textbook stride, Johnson is on the puck a lot because he also thinks the game well, problem is, he's currently having difficulty doing anything with it .. displays glimpses of his offensive talent, as he sees the ice well and can execute some nice quick passes when carrying the puck up ice .. he's still raw on the defensive side of the puck but is improving, as he will backcheck and is okay in the faceoff circle .. his lack of size and strength is evident, as he's too easily boxed out of prime scoring areas by the opposition .. wasn't drafted last year and shows nothing to warrant him being selected this year.

Jimmy Kilpatrick (UFA), RW, Colorado College

Skilled collegiate scorer that has seen his potential peak .. owns an NHL-caliber shot with great velocity and precision accuracy that he never hesitates to unload .. an okay skater when he's moving his feet, as he owns a deceptively quick burst of speed when the situation calls for it, although he lacks that third gear .. he has some skill and offensive creativity but for the most part, he's to cute with the puck and doesn't seem willing to pay the price consistently to score .. competes well around the puck but at times, is easily knocked around at this level, which is concerning, as you have to wonder how he will handle the physicality of the NHL .. receiving interest because of his gaudy numbers and the fact that he's on the powerplay, but he doesn't apply himself properly for the mans game that is the NHL.

Jack Hillen (UFA), D, Colorado College

Mobile and heady two-way defenseman that is productive offensively and reliable defensively .. phenomenal skater that displays the backwards mobility and fluid pivoting to maintain a tight gap, as well as the straight-line speed to carry the puck up ice .. with the ability to see the ice and make the first pass while pressured, Hillen also works the point well with a quick wristshot and has fairly poised puck movement .. he's small but he is no softy, as he does an effective job putting his head in his mans chest while defending one-on-one .. savvy defender that utilizes his stick to take away passing lanes and does a fine job playing a high-pressure-style-of-defense by using his quickness to limit the opposition's time and space .. plays on both special teams and does a lot of things very well, but he will need to overcome his diminutive frame to excel at the next level.

Scott Thauwald (UFA), LW, Colorado College

Senior captain that is on the first line because of his hard work and strong skating ability .. great skater with a wide-tracked stride that powerfully propels him to winning footraces all over the ice .. doesn't provide much offensively except the occasional nice pass and trick footwork one-on-one .. has a great work rate defensively, as he's an exceptional penalty killer that is tireless in pursuit .. doesn't project as a top-line guy but because he's a gritty player that brings it hard every shift with good speed, he could potentially play the role as a checker at the next level.

Eric Walsky (UFA), RW, Colorado College

Has all the tools but not the toolbox .. an NHL-caliber skater that can make things happen with his speed and he owns the ability to finish his chances thanks to his strong shot .. tries to do too much with the puck, as he needs to simplify things and move the puck to the open man instead of trying to stickhandle his way out of every situation .. strong defensive player that more than holds his own along the wall .. he's an NHL talent but he doesn't see the ice or think the game well.