David Carle is as even keeled of a hockey coach as you are bound to find.

That’s not to say the Denver coach isn’t intense or highly competitive, because he is. He just doesn’t wear it on his sleeve.

So his closing remarks during his media scrum Saturday stood out.

Carle was emphatic that the Pioneers’ thrilling 5-4 victory over Omaha in an NCHC quarterfinal provides a strong case that DU is an NCAA Tournament team.

“We came to advocate for the league, that four teams should be in the national tournament,” he said. “I don’t see how Omaha gets in ahead of us. This was a real big box being checked.”

This raised some interesting questions because Omaha has a 14-10-1 record, while DU is 10-12-1 with an NCHC semifinal against No. 2 North Dakota on deck Monday night.

Carle offered the following to support his assertion:

• Both DU and Omaha now have 10 regulation wins.
• Denver finished with a 3-2 head-to-head record (one of Omaha’s wins came in overtime on Feb. 6).
• Denver played two fewer games (the final two vs. Colorado College were cancelled).
• The NCAA parameter of a team needing to possess a .500 or better record has been waived this season.

The coach makes good points. The overall strength of the NCHC and the head-to-head record are two facts one could utilize to strongly advocate on DU’s behalf. I don’t think it’s open to debate the NCHC should get four NCAA berths. Five is probably asking too much, but the league is that good.

The lack of non-conference games also adds to the equation, and that is something that can’t be overstated for DU. Consider DU went 10-1-1 outside of the NCHC last season. Were that the case again, then Saturday’s win would have kept DU’s Tenzer Streak (20 wins) alive. A non-conference slate also would have better equipped the Pioneers for the NCHC pod gauntlet they faced to start the NCHC pod (Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, St. Cloud State and NoDak again). It’s tough to say how much the 0-3 start affected the team, but had to on some level.

Last season, Denver’s conference record was 11-8-5-4 (four shootout wins for the extra point). That gave it 42 points in 24 games (1.75 per game). This season it was 9-12-1-0 for 31 points in 22 games (1.40). Say it plays CC twice more and wins (not a stretch given the Pioneers’ dominance vs. the Tigers). That’s 37 points in 24 games (1.54) with an 11-12-1 record.

The the point difference then would boil down to regulation losses vs. the ties, and DU had five one-goal losses (one each to North Dakota, St. Cloud State, UMD, CC and Omaha).

Then there is this: Denver has a net positive in scoring differential (plus-2), and its clunkers can be counted on one hand. Its losses by the widest margins (three and four goals) were close for much of those games.

Monday’s game

Six times the Pioneers lost by three or more goals, and half of those were to Monday’s foe – the Fighting Hawks.

However, in each of those losses, North Dakota scored the game’s only power-play goal and added an empty-net goal. Denver had a 2-1 PPG edge an overtime loss and the teams traded PPGs twice in DU’s 3-2 win. Neither team struck with the man advantage in DU’s 4-1 win.

“They’re a really sound hockey team fundamentally with and without the puck” Carle said Sunday. “Their sticks are good. They take away time and space and they’re rarely out of position.

“Offensively, they move the puck efficiently. … It comes down to 50-50 battles, special teams and goaltending. Those will be major points for both teams.”

Senior assistant captain Ryan Barrow, one of just 16 skaters who again will be available for the Pioneers on Monday, said DU must make the most of its opportunities.

“They’re a great team,” he said. “We have to bear down on chances when we do get them. Be good on the power play when we get our chances.”

The last word

“Playoff hockey is about turning the page,” Carle said. “It’s another big game against the best team in the country. I don’t think (any other team is) close. No doubt we have our hands full.”

A victory Monday would do more than put the Pioneers in the NCHC title game, it would go a long way toward erasing doubts about their viability as an NCAA Tournament team.

©First Line Editorial 2021