The #3-seed Denver Pioneers raced out to a 12-0 shots-on-goal advantage over #6-seed archrival Colorado College Tigers in the first 10-plus minutes of the first period. By the end of the opening period, DU had a 14-3 advantage on the shots board…but the game remained scoreless. And despite Jack Devine’s gritty goal in the second half of the second period to open the scoring, DU’s scoreless first period might have been what doomed them in their 3-1 game one loss to CC in the best-of-three NCHC Quarterfinal series at Magness Arena.
Over the first 20-plus minutes, the Pioneers were basically on cruise control. They were outskating the Tigers and the visitors couldn’t match their overall compete level. The only problem? Denver couldn’t find the back of the net despite their seemingly unending chances.
In many ways, it was a classic tight-checking playoff hockey game. Neither team was willing to take chances offensively and risk offering the opposition any kind of golden opportunity the other way. It wasn’t until Jack Devine batted home a gritty goal, kind of out of nowhere in the second period, that either team was able to break the scoreless deadlock.
But early in the second period, after CC killed off a DU power play that straddled the second intermission, Ty Gallagher took full advantage of a poorly timed (and, truthfully, poorly officiated) five-on-three opportunity to tie the game at one. 12 minutes and precisely zero dangerous DU chances, Brady Cleveland broke the tie with a deflected, seeing-eye shot that DU goalie Matt Davis never saw, and the more than 6,700 Magness faithful knew deep down that that was all CC would need on this night. Noah Laba added an empty-netter with 37 seconds left to finish off the 3-1 game.
Aside from the first period, it was a brutal, embarrassing effort at home from the Pioneers. Aside from that strong first period, they were outplayed by their archrival by a wide margin. Shots-on-goal over the final two periods were even (20-20), but were it not for a characteristically strong performance by Matt Davis, any keen observer would have noted that CC could have run away with this game by the 10-minute mark of the third period.
In the end, it’s just a single loss in a best-of-three series. The Pioneers, who won two-straight over the Tigers just last weekend only have to put together a repeat performance on Saturday and Sunday to return to the Frozen Faceoff and give themselves a chance at the conference crown and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
But if they put together another dud like they did tonight, they’re going to leave their NCAA fate up to the rest of the country…with tonight’s loss, they fell to #11 in the Pairwise Rankings and are beginning to flirt with the bubble.
Yes, the Pioneers clinched the Gold Pan last weekend with a strong two-game sweep over these same Tigers and beating any team not named Miami (of Ohio) four times in a row in a single season is an extremely difficult proposition. But if they can’t find last weekend’s sweeping formula, they are going to find themselves on the outside looking in next weekend, just hoping that chaos doesn’t reign in Minnesota and back east.
Top photo courtesy Isaac Wasserman/Clarkson Creative Photography via Denver Athletics
This DU team has the talent to be great, but the heart, drive and leadership is often lacking at crunch time.
If we lose tonight we get close to “bubble territory” in the Pair wise for the 16 team tournament.
CC clearly had the refs in their back pocket. Terrible officiating.
Slice and dice this one any way you want, but that was a bad loss on home ice last night. Pios had the strong start, played on their toes, had CC chasing, and carried the play in the first period. Unfortunately, DU couldn’t replicate that effort as the game went on, particularly in the 3rd period. Just wasn’t good enough. It was a very disappointing and certainly unsatisfying game. And to make matters worse, Pios fall to an uncomfortable #11 in the PWR.
Begrudgingly, give CC credit. Those guys weathered the storm in the first period, hung around and kept the game close, and then took advantage of the 5×3 in the 3rd. They were opportunistic, and to no one’s surprise, Mbereko played very well.
The only thing I really liked after the first period was seeing Caponi clobber Veremyev with a clean open ice hit.
If DU is going to make a postseason run, they need more secondary scoring. Hoping to see more production from guys like Wright, Lorenz, Salminen, and Cebrian.
Very painful game to watch.
Honestly, sounds like DU got a bit unlucky: a charging the goalie call on a short handed break and the resulting 5 on 3, and then a goal off a deflection from a broken stick. But we are playing a tier below our recent national championship teams. Bubble territory is a new thing for DU. Not too late to go on a run, but gotta get that win tonight. CC will be tough, but I trust that DU will be playing with urgency.