Cole Guttman had a goal and two assists, and freshman linemate Carter Savoie and junior Hank Crone had power-play strikes to spark Denver’s 3-1 victory over No. 9 Omaha in an NCHC game Friday night.

Magnus Chrona returned to the Pioneers lineup and made 16 saves for Denver (7-9-1, which beat Omaha (10-6-1) for the 11th time in a row at Magness Arena.

The game featured excellent pace throughout, but Denver’s defense did a better job slowing the improved Omaha attack.

“Both teams had chances,” DU coach David Carle told Altitude Sports after the game. “I liked our pace and intensity. I thought our penalty kill had maybe its best performance of the year. I thought (Slava) Demin did a nice job, broke up a lot of plays.

“It looked like Denver hockey tonight for our D corps.”

Here are three observations from a crucial win for the Pioneers.

The early shift

Whatever took place during the first and second intermissions worked because the Pioneers wasted little time denting the scoreboard after the breaks.

Guttman initiated the first DU scoring play by carrying the puck over the left side of the Omaha line. He then found Savoie locked and loaded in the right circle, and the freshman beat Isaiah Saville (33 saves) on the one-timer just 1:15 into the second period. The strike was Savoie’s team-high 10th of the season and sixth on the power play.

Guttman then took a feed from Bobby Brink in the high slot, changed his shooting angle and snapped a rocket over Saville’s blocker and just under the cross bar only 1:41 into the third. The goal was Guttman’s fifth of the season but his first in six games. His three-point night equaled his output of the previous six games.

“I thought it started with (Guttman’s) face-offs,” Carle said. “When he’s engaged in that, he’s usually engaged in other parts of his game.”

Guttman won 19 of 26 face-offs, helping Denver to a 34-30 edge.

Special teams

The Pioneers didn’t help their cause by taking three third-period minor penalties, including two after the Mavericks had cut Denver’s lead to one goal on Chayse Primeau‘s finish of a tic-tac-toe play midway through the third period.

Unlike two weekends ago, when DU did not score on the power play and allowed three man-advantage goals, the Pioneers won the battle Friday.

Savoie’s opening tally came on a power play, Crone’s (also off an assist from Guttman) came during a 5-on-3 in the closing minutes, and DU did give back any ground when it was shorthanded. Crone scored for the third game in a row – all against Omaha.

Back in good graces

The re-emergence of juniors Crone and Demin is plenty encouraging for the Pioneers because both spent some time in the press box earlier in the season.

Crone played in just his eighth game of the season and only his third since the NCHC’s pod in December, when he appeared in half of the 10 games.

Demin was out of the lineup four games and was listed as a seventh defenseman a handful of other times. Lately, he’s become a lineup fixture next to freshman Antti Tuomisto in a highly effective pairing for the Pioneers.

Next: Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 6 p.m.

©First Line Editorial 2021