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Goldman: Going off of what you said, can you talk a little bit about the process of having the mental and emotional patience to put in the time every day, year after year, to make it to where you are now? Bachman: “I think trusting the process is something I’ve had to learn to do since I was 15 years old. Fortunately for me, it has all worked out really well, but it hasn’t been easy. A lot of it is just working hard and trusting and hoping that what you’re doing is the right thing. For me it kind of started when I went to prep school. I went out there and I didn’t know anyone or anything, and my first year, I played probably five games. That was probably one of the hardest times in my career, just 15-16 years old, and didn’t know if I wanted to go back because I didn’t know if I was going to play. But I trusted what people around me were saying, that I was going to be good, and I just worked hard every day when I wasn’t playing just to become better and to compete with the older guys. So I decided to go back, and it turned out for the next two years that I played almost every single game. So it worked out, but it was just trusting the process, and not getting down on myself when it didn’t go how I wanted. It was almost more motivation as time went on to get out from being a backup, or motivation to get out from the ECHL in order to get into the AHL, or from out of the AHL and into the NHL. It was just about going to the rink every day and working hard and trusting that my teammates around me are doing what they need to do to help us succeed. But I also had to give them a reason to help me succeed. That was kind of my thought process going through all of the different steps right there.” Goldman: When you know that you’ve put in so much time and effort into trusting the process, and when you’ve had those situations where you get the opportunity to prove yourself, what goes through your mind after you’ve had a chance to reflect on what you accomplished? Bachman: “The first game after I broke into the NHL [against Phoenix], it takes a little bit of time to really set in that you’ve even played in an NHL game let alone be successful in it. I think it really comes back for me on all the times that I go to the rink and work hard and try and get better and trusting that the process has made me a better goalie. So when I do get those opportunities, I’m not thinking about this or that. For me, hockey, whether at the junior level, college, and minor league or pros, it’s all the same sport. We grow up learning the same sport, and you just have to trust that you’ve put in the time in practice, and when it does happen, you don’t have to think about it, your body is going to react. You know what to do, and it’s still the same game, just at a little bit of a faster pace. So all of that time I put in, it made me ready to have success. I think another good example was after last season when I got called up and won my first three main starts, and at the time, you’re living in the moment and you’re not thinking about anything. Then you really reflect, and you’re like OK, some of that stuff I was doing out there came from a couple years back when I was practicing in the coast and trying to get better every day and trying to learn the position at a higher level. I think when you take everything and all the setbacks and successes at the other levels, it really helps propel you forward to be successful.” Goldman: I can remember scouting you during your years at Colorado College and there were a lot more highs than lows. But was there ever a time in your college or pro career where you experienced some desolate times emotionally, or you were just really frustrated with your game? If so, how did you manage that and bounce back? Bachman: “There were plenty of times where I had that feeling. I remember when I was in Boise [ECHL], there was two weekends where we played three games in three nights. No matter what I was doing that weekend, for some reason, I just couldn’t stop anything. It wasn’t for a lack of trying or anything like that, I just couldn’t stop anything. Those are the hardest times because then you go into practice and try to battle out of it. But for me, how I deal with the setbacks is by keeping everything even-keeled. A lot of that comes with preparation. I know if I do everything the same way and prepare the same way, a majority of the time, that will give me the best chance of being successful. So when I was going through that rough stretch and things weren’t going great in Boise or Austin, I just continued to stick with what I knew and how I’ve always prepared for the last eight years. I knew if I just stuck with that and kept working hard, it was just a matter of time before I’d have success again. I think that’s the attitude and mindset I’ve had, and it continues to drive me to be successful.” Goldman: When it comes to managing your confidence or dealing with pressure in tough situations, how do you handle this in the bigger games, like the one you had against Henrik Lundqvist in Madison Square Garden? Bachman: “When I was first called up, there were a lot of different emotions and there wasn’t a lot of time to think about it. Just like the previous question, where you work yourself out of a bad stretch, for me, it’s all in the preparation. There will be times where you’ll have butterflies and you’ll be nervous. But I always tell myself that if you’re not nervous, it means you probably don’t care about it enough. This may not be true for everyone, but for the most part, if you think of all the times you’re nervous, it’s probably because you care about something. So I recognize that there’s a healthy reason for the nerves, and then I just stick with what I know, focus on my mental preparation, and key in on the cues and the positive reinforcement. I get that going, and since I’ve been doing it for a while now, when I visualize things and say the mental cues in my head, it triggers something in my body, and it knows it’s time to just go play hockey. Once the games get going, all the nerves leave, and you’re right into the same routine you’re used to. On the big stage, you just want to be consistent and give your team the chance to win. Do all of this, and I know that eventually the nerves disappear and you have a good chance to be successful.” Goldman: All I hear about these days is how bigger goalies are more valuable. But I know that there will always be a place for smaller goalies because they have to be smarter and quicker. So in many instances, they’re usually more talented, both mentally and technically. Talk about how being a smaller goalie hasn’t held you back in your journey to being an NHL goalie. Bachman: “Dealing with a lack of size is something I’ve been carrying around for a while. Growing up, it wasn’t a big deal. My family was never big and nobody played hockey before me, so nobody knew if I was going to be too small. In fact, I didn’t really start hearing about it until I was in the juniors, then definitely in college I heard about it more, so it was definitely something I’ve battled with recently. Most of it has come in the past three years, ever since I turned pro. The moment I signed my first contract, the next sentence I heard was, ‘he’s only 5-10 so he may not be successful.’ This is something I’ve had to work on, to kind of prove to people that it doesn’t matter, and as I go along further and further, I hear it associated less and less with my name. It will always be there and it’s something I’ll battle all the time, but for me, I think I’m big enough to fill the net. For most of the goals I allow, rarely do they beat me above my shoulders, so I don’t let it bother me. I know the net’s not getting any bigger, so I don’t have to worry about that. So it gives me extra motivation to prove people wrong. The way I’ve been able to do that is by being able to read plays and be a little bit quicker on my feet, so I can be a half-foot out further than the big guys who sit back a little more. Or I’ll read a pass a little quicker so I can get there in time.”