Adam Scheel made 24 saves as top-ranked North Dakota shut out Denver, 3-0, in a typically physical NCHC game at Grand Forks, N.D., on Friday night.

Shane Pinto scored two special teams goals for the Fighting Hawks (14-4-1), but the hosts might have sustained a potentially devastating injury to Scheel in the final minute when DU captain Kohen Olischefski made contact with the goalie’s extended right leg as he skated past the crease. Scheel needed help from teammates to leave the ice.

Olischefski was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct after a postgame review. Because it was not a game disqualification Olischefski should be eligible to play in Saturday night’s rematch (5 p.m.).

The loss also cleared up a few things for the Pioneers (7-11-1).

First, Omaha’s 7-1 shellacking of Colorado College combined with DU’s loss gave the Mavericks a 10-point lead for fourth place in the NCHC and ensured the Pioneers, who have just three regular-season games remaining, can’t finish higher than fifth.

Western Michigan’s shutout of Minnesota Duluth means DU sits just one point ahead of the Broncos for sixth place and increased the likelihood of facing either Omaha or St. Cloud State, which went 2-0 vs. DU in the NCHC’s pod in December, in the NCHC quarterfinals next month.

Here are three observations from Friday night’s game:

Close calls

Denver had stretches when it appeared it might break through, but Scheel was particularly strong when he needed to be.

“Scheel was really good tonight, maybe the best we’ve seen him,” DU coach David Carle said. “He saw the puck and he moved well laterally. He made some big saves at key moments for them.”

After an early DU push, North Dakota took over the first period and eventually scored on Jasper Weatherby‘s bad-angle shot with just 1:53 to go before intermission.

However, after being outshot 13-6 in the first period, Denver put up an 18-13 edge the rest of the way.

Special teams struggles

The good news is that after some early season struggles DU has improved its penalty kill. The bad news is the power play went missing in action.

Pinto’s first goal came on a man advantage came after a nice backhand pass from defenseman Matt Kierstad to the sophomore, who was stationed in the left circle on his off wing. Magnus Chrona (26 saves) had no chance to see it through traffic, and it was 2-0 with 6:57 to go in the second.

That was the only time the Fighting Hawks scored on their five power plays. Pinto’s other tally was a short-handed, empty-netter with 1:05 to play.

Denver, meanwhile, could not make any of its six power plays count, including a five-minute one that began late in the first period and extended into the second.

“Our emotion was good for the most part,” Carle said. “Our (lack of) execution stood out most on the power play. We had some good in zone time and were able to break them down and make plays through seams. The most disappointing part was our lack of execution.”

The teams combined for 48 minutes worth of penalties, so flow was non-existent at times.

“It’s hard to argue they weren’t penalties,” Carle said. “That’s how it is when these teams play.”

Magnus makes good

One has to wonder if the collision with Scheel was a form of payback for two earlier incidents involving Chrona and the Fighting Hawks’ Gavin Hain.

The sophomore goalie briefly headed to the locker room after the first time Hain ran over Chrona late in the first period. Once the officials sorted out the penalties after a lengthy review, Chrona was back in the net and DU went to a 5-minute power play that carried over into the second period.  The Fighting Hawks killed that off, but the Pioneers built some momentum.

Hain again collided with Chrona early in the third period and took another two minutes off. But North Dakota also killed off the penalty.

“I thought his competitiveness was really good,” Carle said of Chrona. “He was fighting to see pucks. He gave us a chance.”

©First Line Editorial 2021