Want some clues as to how the University of Denver reached the Frozen Four?

The numbers don’t lie – it has been a tale of two seasons for the Pioneers (the first 16 games before the Christmas break vs. the 24 since leading up to next weekend’s Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla.). The Pioneers are defending better, getting improved goaltending and scoring even more than they did in the first 16 games.

Here is a selection of a few key figures to illustrate these points:

.500

The Pioneers’ winning percentage after 16 games (7-7-2) at the Christmas break

.833

The Pioneers’ winning percentage so far in 2016 (18-2-4)

4

Longest losing streak (from Dec. 4-12)

11

Longest winning streak (from Jan. 30 to March 12)

2.9

Goals allowed per game before the break

1.88

Goals allowed per game in 2016

3-3-2

Tanner Jaillet‘s record in the first half of the season

14-1-3

Jaillet’s second-half record, giving him a 17-4-5 mark overall

2.82

Jaillet’s goals-against average at the break

2.25

Jaillet’s gaa entering the Frozen Four

13

Team-leading points total, by defenseman Will Butcher, in the first 16 games (he has 18 since for a total of 31)

37

Team-leading points total, by forward Danton Heinen, in 2016 (Heinen has a team-high 48 points overall)

33

Points for the Pacific Rim Line (Heinen, Dylan Gambrell and Trevor Moore) in the first 16 games (2.06 per game)

106

Points for the PRL in the 24 games since (4.42 per game)

20

Points by senior center Quentin Shore in 2016; he had 8 at the break

33

Points from the blue line, 23 of which came from Butcher and Nolan Zajac, in the first 16 games.

53

Points from the blue line since, 21 of which have come from Tariq Hammond, Blake Hillman and Matt VanVoorhis.

15

Double-figure scorers for DU. The other three lineup regulars are one, two and three points away from adding a column to their point total.

102

Points from DU freshmen

122

Points from DU juniors, the most of any class