There is a certain calm about these Denver Pioneers, and there has been most of the season.
As DU heads into a Frozen Four semifinal against Massachusetts on Thursday night (6:30 p.m., ESPN2), the question begs to be asked: How can a team with 19 freshmen and sophomores, one projected by some to not even make the NCAA Tournament, remain so composed in close games?
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Yes, the Pioneers have good veteran leadership, but bear in mind, only six players of their have made it this far in the tournament before. Yes, they’re well coached, but the composition of the staff is different than when DU went to consecutive Frozen Fours in 2016 and ’17.
What we know is the Pioneers have been solid in close games. They’re 8-5 in games decided by one goal and 4-1-5 in overtime. Factor in four other games when an empty-net goal broadened a one-goal game into a two-goal edge, and more than half of their 40 games have been cliffhangers.
Reasons for confidence
The performances in close games are one reason for the Pioneers’ seemingly static pulse, but there are others, captain Colin Staub said recently.
“I think it starts with great goaltending,” Staub said. “If things break down for us, we’re going to have goaltenders who can back us up.
“Then at the same time, we’ve been in a lot of these situations all year. We’ve been in a lot of tight games. When they are 1-0 late in the third, we’ve been there. We’re calm in those situations because of that. That allows us to not make very many mental mistakes.”
Coach David Carle called it a “quiet confidence.” It’s been built over the course of a season that has featured plenty of tests inside the NCHC gauntlet and out. And the Pioneers have played fellow Frozen Four members Minnesota Duluth (2-3) and Providence (1-0-1) a total of seven times.
“I go back to our league. When you’re in a lot of tight games, in a lot of tough buildings, you get exposed to a lot of different things,” Carle said. “Eventually you develop a normalcy. We don’t get blown out and we don’t blow a lot of teams out. I think that speaks to the parity in college hockey.
“We play really good hockey teams all the time. … If it looks calm to you, I guess that’s good.”
Stick to the process
Denver has managed to stay composed through thick and thin, with leads, when tied and when trailing. It’s been no different in the postseason, particularly in two NCAA West Regional games that each went more than 35 minutes of game time without goals.
“We’ve preached all of my four years here that when we get to this point in the season, nothing changes,” Staub said. “Our game plan doesn’t change, the way that we play doesn’t change. So our mentality shouldn’t change.
“Even in a tight situation, like (the regional games), when they’re one goal games going into the third period we want to make sure we’re not changing how we approach the game. We’ve done that all year. It’s been benefitting us.”
At the risk of sounding like Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, DU leading scorer Liam Finlay cited another factor.
“We’re staying super positive in the room and on the bench,” the junior said. “Like every team, you get times when you’re a little negative, but we found we’re not playing our best when we do that.
“The more positive we stay as juniors and seniors and leaders, the more calm our freshmen are going to be. It resonates through the bench. Our coaches have done a great job with that, keeping us in the game, in the moment.”
Then there’s this
So you have good goaltending, experience in close games, a challenging schedule, a refined process and positive vibes. All of those have contributed to the calm enveloping the Pioneers.
Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe the youthful team just doesn’t know any better.
“Maybe because we’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores,” said one of them, freshman goaltender Filip Larsson. “We just go out and play. We’re not afraid of what can happen.
“Some of the older guys know what it feels like to lose a (NCAA) game like this. Me and the other freshmen don’t know that, we just go out and play. I’m not afraid of anything when I face other teams. I just want to win. We have been able to do that because a lot of us feel that way – let’s just go win.”
©First Line Editorial 2017-19
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