When No. 4 Denver needs a pick-me-up it often dials up Nos. 10 and 16.

That’s juniors Jaakko Heikkinen (10) and Jake Durflinger (16), two-thirds of a fourth line that consistently has been one of the Pioneers’ best this season. And DU will need that to continue as it tries to shake off a four-game winless streak with No. 20 Western Michigan paying a visit to Magness Arena this weekend.

“They’ve been consistent players,” DU coach David Carle said. “I’d throw Kohen Olischefski in there and Ryan Barrow, when he was healthy. That junior class has really matured and evolved. They’ve become consistent everyday players.

“You need a line you can throw out in any situation. We feel like with 10 and 16, and it was 12 (Olischefski) and it’s 11 (Tyler Ward) right now, we know what to expect out of them and they can build momentum in a positive way.”

That’s whole idea, said Heikkinen, who has been one of the Pioneers’ most noticeable players of late.

“Our line wants to outwork teams, putting pressure on them,” he said. “We pride ourselves on that, forechecking them hard, playing with a lot of detail in our game, starting from our D zone. We’ve been able to create a lot of turnovers, then create some chances and momentum for our team.

“Every time we step over the boards we want to create that momentum and leave the ice better for our team.”

Whoever joins them on a given night, the duo knows exactly what it’s role will be, Durflinger added.

“We’ve been lucky – we have good chemistry,” he said. “This is a special team, and we have some guys who are highly skilled and can put the puck in the net. But you need a lot of parts to win games so that’s what Jaakko and I have been able to do. Play some hard minutes.”

The line is adept in any zone, but most often Carle will call on them in the defensive zone. Heikkinen and Durflinger also are among the first calls among the forwards for penalty kills.

“They get a lot of D zone draws, but they’ve found a way to contribute offensively,” Carle said. “That’s attractive part. We know they’re going to win a face-off, get it out of our zone and get it below the other team’s goal line and go to work. They’ve generated chances from real hard places.

“A lot of times they’ve been an example for other people to follow in how we need to play.”

Heikkinen is the Pioneers’ main left-shot centerman, and he’s won slightly more than 50 percent of his face-offs, no small feat given he went 12-for-32 in the first three games. Aside from Saturday’s 3-for-11 hiccup against North Dakota, Heikkinen had been .500 or better in seven of the past eight games.

The Finn takes a great deal of pride in his circle work.

“It’s all about a mentality,” he said. “It’s the first one-on-one battle of the shift, so you want to win that. Your team is going to need to get the puck out of the zone. It’s huge to have that mentality.”

The entire cast of characters skates well, but the 6-foot-2 Heikkinen seems to have found another gear in several parts of his game this season. It was on display against last weekend against North Dakota, when he had another shorthanded breakaway.

“He’s got a lot of confidence with the puck right now,” Olischefski said. “Guys are finding him when he’s getting open. He’s got a really good shot, and he’s been using it more this year.

“He’s quick down low and can create space for himself. He can get going pretty good carrying the puck up the ice. He’s a really smart player, he’s always getting chances around the net.”

The 5-8 Durflinger offers different strengths. Highly intelligent, the winger plays with an edge that can be both entertaining (to teammates and DU fans) and enraging (most of the rest of the hockey world).

“He gets under people’s skin, people don’t like him, but he doesn’t have to do much to do that,” Carle said. “And he doesn’t have to go out of his way to rile anyone up. He just goes out and plays. He has that reputation that people hate him. That’s why we recruited him.

“What people don’t see is e puts a lot of thought and time into how he prepares. He’s always tinkering with something with his body or his equipment. He pays attention to details.”

Olischefski, who already had four goals – double his output of a season ago, often has been the third member of the line though he recently moved up to the top line. He also has undergone a bit of a transformation, one that includes adapting to wherever he plays.

“He can see what he does brings value to the team and helps us win. When people feel that, they gain a lot of confidence,” Carle said. “Puck are going in for him a bit more, and he’s getting rewarded for going to dirty areas. He’s been through some trials and tribulations here. He’s had some tough talks, but we know what to expect out of him every night.”

Heikkinen and Durflinger have combined for four goals. They don’t play a lot of sexy minutes. But that doesn’t matter, Olischefski said, because the Pioneers view 10 and 16 as two crucial pieces.

“They’re carrying our team in terms of energy and momentum when we need a big shift,” he said. “They’re always the guys who are making things happen down low, getting pucks out, getting pucks deep. They’re creating stuff all over the ice and being responsible in the D zone.

“We know exactly what we’re going to get out of them every shift.”

©First Line Editorial 2019