Nothing to see here. Just keep moving along.

An even-keeled approach has a lot to do with why Denver has been able to continue to sustain its hockey success season after season.

It helped the Pioneers navigate a 2018-19 campaign in which some prognosticators pegged them as low as fifth or sixth in the NCHC (they landed in the Frozen Four again and were one goal from playing for a ninth title). And it will help them maneuver through a 2019-20 season in which they’re picked to finish second in the NCHC and currently sit second in the USCHO.com poll.

“Every year we go in the same way, we look to do the things that give us success,” senior assistant captain Michael Davies said. “It doesn’t matter to us if we’re ranked 20^th or second or first.”

Fellow senior assistant captain Tyson McLellan said a single-minded approach is how the Pioneers manage expectations.

“We always try to look at ourselves, not really at the outside sources,” McLellan said. “We’re always confident in what we can do as team whether we’re young or more experienced. Our culture is our backbone, and we always build off that. … We build on each and every week we have here. That’s the way we should look at it.”

As the Pioneers continue their 10-day trip with a second series against a WCHA opponent, this time Lake Superior State on Friday and Saturday, they focus on what they can control.

“Our internal expectations mean the most, and they are always high here,” coach David Carle said. “The fact we have higher external expectations speaks to the year we had and what we have coming back. It’s not a bad thing. I think we’ve earned those expectations.

“Our challenge is not to let it affect what we do. Last year we didn’t have high expectations outside the locker room, and we didn’t let it affect how we prepared every day. So I don’t think the message or how we approach things changes, it’s just a different outside noise that we have to block out. … We have to focus on playing together and for each other every day, and improve as the season goes on like we did last year.”

Lineup shuffling

Integrating four newcomers into the lineup didn’t hurt DU as it swept Alaska Fairbanks last weekend in two very different games. The host Nanooks blitzed the Pioneers early on Saturday and left DU chasing the scoreboard for the first 29:37 of the game. The Pioneers clawed back behind goals from junior Kohen Olischefski, freshman Bobby Brink and sophomore Cole Guttman in the 4-3 win.

On Sunday, freshman Magnus Chrona went 28 for 28 on pucks stopped and Denver never relinquished a lead it took late in the second period on captain Ian Mitchell‘s shorthanded goal. Besides the defensive effort in the 3-0 win, the Pioneers flipped the script on faceoffs, winning 33 of 54 one night after losing 33 of 55.

When Denver faces the Lakers they could be without two key veterans again. Junior goaltender Devin Cooley was being evaluated for an injury that kept him out last weekend, and senior defenseman Erich Fear missed last weekend because of an upper-body injury. Fear is questionable for this weekend.

Freshman Justin Lee and sophomore Kyle Mayhew comprised the third defensive pair, where Fear likely would be slotted. The fourth newcomer to play was sophomore forward Hank Crone.

©First Line Editorial 2019