One game does not a trend make. Nor even three. But nine is a cause for concern.

No. 6 Denver dropped a 4-1 NCHC decision to No. 1 North Dakota at Grand Forks, N.D., on Friday. The defeat was the Pioneers’ third in a row and it gave them a 1-6-2 record vs. the three teams ahead of them in the league standings this season.

That includes a 0-2-1 mark against the first-place Fighting Hawks, who took the lead for good on a second-period power-play goal and salted the game away with a third-period PPG.

Denver went 0-3-1 vs. second-place Minnesota Duluth and 1-1 vs. third-place Western Michigan. DU’s opponent in two weeks, St. Cloud State, sits three points in the rear-view mirror for fourth.

One issue for the Pioneers during the recent slide has been offense. They’ve been outscored 11-4 in the past three games.

The Pioneers shifted goaltending tactics, starting Devin Cooley, who previously had seen duty only on Saturday. The junior stopped 19 shots, but was dented by freshman forward Shane Pinto in the first period for his 14th goal.

Bobby Brink‘s 11th goal just 3:17 into the second tied it, but that was all DU could muster against Peter Thome (26 saves).

Defenseman Matt Kierstad‘s power-play strike 7:36 into the second gave North Dakota a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Forward Collin Adams scored with 3:24 to go in the second, and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker – like Pinto an Ottawa Senators draft choice – sealed the deal with a power-play tally with 8:46 to go in the game.

©First Line Editorial 2020