The Seventh Period is a wrap-up of Denver hockey’s weekend series.

First period

No. 2 Denver improved its overall record to 4-0 with its second consecutive road sweep of a WCHA team. The Pioneers topped Lake Superior State 3-1 on Friday night and pulled out a cardiac victory on Saturday, 4-3.

Second period

Ryan Barrow gave DU the latter victory when he scored with 20 seconds left off assists from sophomore Brett Stapley and freshman Brett Edwards. Stapley’s helper was his second of the game as well as of the season. Edwards’ was the first of his NCAA career in his third game. Barrow’s goal was the junior’s team-high third, and he’s just two short of his career high of five goals, which he established last season. That took him 37 games.

Third period

Freshman goaltender Magnus Chrona improved to 4-0. Chrona likely would have gotten a start or two on the Pioneers’ 10-day trip, but an undisclosed injury to junior Devin Cooley thrust him into the starting job. With impressive numbers (1.75 goals-against average and .935 save percentage), Chrona is doing a good impression of countryman Filip Larsson, who as a freshman last year teamed with Cooley to give DU what coach David Carle called “two starting goalies.” Chrona’s composure is obvious, and his consistency already has been a boon. His goals allowed by game – three, zero, one, three.

Fourth period

Chrona has been helped by a veteran defense, even without injured senior Erich Fear (upper body). But the blue liners also have put on their offensemen hats. The group has contributed four goals in the first four games – two by junior captain Ian Mitchell, who scored the winner last Saturday at Fairbanks and notched the tying goal on Friday. D partner Griffin Mendel and sophomore Slava Demin also have a goal, Demin’s drawing Denver even in the first period Saturday. Mitchell has a point in every game thus far this season.

Fifth period

Keep in mind DU has had to win its first and fourth games in the closing minutes (Game 1) and closing seconds (Saturday). It also has trailed in three of the four games (Chrona’s shutout in Game 2 being the exception, though that game was nearly scoreless for two periods). Even though the Pioneers are more experienced than a year ago, they still have dressed at least 10 underclassmen in each game. The young’uns obviously are learning quickly how to maintain their poise under pressure. “For the first time playing a team like that, that plays a little bit of that chaotic, helter-skelter game at times, I thought we handled it really well with some poise and calmness,” Carle said via the school’s official website.

Sixth period

Sixteen Pioneers already have points, topped by senior Liam Finlay‘s five. Finlay had two more assists Saturday, joining Stapley and sophomore transfer Hank Crone (one goal, one assist) with multiple points in the 4-3 win. Freshman wing Bobby Brink scored his second goal of the season, and he and linemates Cole Guttman and Emilio Petterson, who had two points Friday, have combined for 11 points thus far.

Seventh period

The Pioneers open their home schedule Friday night with the first of two games against No. 10 Boston College. The Eagles (1-0) defeated No. 16 Wisconsin, 5-3, on Friday night. Senior forwards Julius Mattila and David Cotton (a former Colorado Thunderbird) each had three points in that game, which also was the NCAA debut of Florida Panthers first-round pick Spencer Knight in goal.

©First Line Editorial 2019