Don’t make Filip Larsson angry, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.

Actually, the mild-mannered Swede wasn’t flipping his lid at all Friday, but there is something about North Dakota’s green that turns him into a Hulk in net.

The freshman stopped all 32 shots the Fighting Hawks put on his goal, and No. 8 Denver shut out the guests, 2-0, in an NCHC quarterfinal opener at Magness Arena. Tyson McLellan scored a momentum-swinging goal late in the first period, and defenseman Griffin Mendel added his first of the year to give the Pioneers (20-10-5) some breathing room midway through the first.

The victory gives the Pioneers two cracks at winning one game to advance to the NCHC Frozen Face-off next weekend and it extended their NCAA-best string of 20-win seasons to 18.

Taming the Green Monsters

Larsson has stopped 140 of 143 North Dakota shots against him in his four starts and has a 3-0-1 record against the Fighting Hawks (18-16-2) in his young college career. So what is it about North Dakota?

“It feels really good to play against them,” Larsson said. “They (bring) a lot of fans, so that gets me motivated before the game. Their guys also like to get under my skin. I just enjoy playing against them.

“The atmosphere of the game. I just feel on top of my game every time I play them.”

Larsson’s gem Friday cut the Pioneers some needed slack because North Dakota generated the first eight shots on goal, aided by two Denver penalties in succession.

“For whatever reason he loves playing this team,” Denver coach David Carle said. “He was the best player on the ice and gave us a chance.

“The first seven minutes they were outshooting us but I thought we were bending, we weren’t breaking. The last 10 of the first and the last 10 of the second was when Filip needed to be at his best, and he was.”

Larsson put on a clinic in the final six minutes of the second, stoning Gavin Hain on his down-low jailbreak, which included a nifty forehand-backhand move. Yet the freshman wasn’t ready to blow his own horn afterward.

“They could do much better,” the goalie said. “There were a lot of pucks on my pads and my stomach. They made it kind of easy for me sometimes.

“I think we need to do a better job not giving them such good opportunities tomorrow.”

Mendel gave DU a vital two-goal lead and a measure of breathing room when he wound up from above the circles and beat a screened Thome (15 saves).

“Before that you never know,” Larsson said. “In the last five minutes of the hockey game they can pull their goalie and anything can happen. When (Mendel scored) I felt a big relief.”

One and almost done

After chasing the game for nearly all of the first period, the Pioneers grabbed the lead on their third shot with just a minute to go.

Michael Davies made a nice play near the UND bench to retain possession for Denver. He dropped a pass to Jarid Lukosevicius below the Fighting Hawks’ goal line to goalie Peter Thome‘s left. The senior quickly rifled a pass between the circles that McLellan captured and sent into the far side of the net.

“Gutter (Cole Guttman) made a good change. Dave got the puck down to Luko, and Luko does what he does and takes care of the puck,” McLellan said. “I was just screaming coming off the bench, I found a spot and it went in.”

From there, the Pioneers’ effort to get more pucks on net and challenge a sturdy North Dakota defense was apparent but not without its bumps in the road.

“It was really big. It gave us some life going into the second,” Carle said. “I thought the first 10 minutes we were getting pucks to good places, we were physical, we were on top of them.

“But as that period went on they did a better job breaking pucks out and breaking our pressure and making us chase the play.”

That’s where Larsson came in.

“He’s a calming influence back there,” McLellan said. “Any of our goalies when they’re in we feel like we can win the game. Hats off to him, but he’s got to keep it going, too.”

Carle was non-committal about starting Larsson again Saturday. He’s alternated between the freshman and sophomore Devin Cooley of late.

Notes

While Stapley returned, fellow freshman Tyler Ward sat for the Pioneers. Stapley played on a line with converted defenseman Kyle Mayhew and Liam Finlay. “When the puck’s on his stick, especially on the power play, he’s really, really good,” Carle said of Stapley. “I think he’s going to get more comfortable away from the puck.” … Captain Colton Poolman, who did not play in the series at Denver last month, was back in the Fighting Hawks’ lineup. … North Dakota’s starting goalie, Adam Scheel, did not dress for the game. He’s been out since Feb. 16 due to a knee injury.

Denver’s three stars

1. FIlip Larsson. The freshman continues his hex on North Dakota, winning for the third time in four starts against it and making 32 saves.
2. Tyson McLellan. The center scored on a bang-bang play with Jarid Lukosevicius with a minute to go in the first – a huge momentum goal.
3. Michael Davies. Strong all game, he initiated the play that led to McLellan’s goal.

Up next

The teams play Game 2 on Saturday at 7:08 p.m. at Magness Arena

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