Denver has raced out to a 12-5-1 record and a No. 6 ranking heading into its final 16 games – all vs. NCHC foes.

We previously looked at some notable aspects of the first 18 games, and now it’s time to look at a few more aspects of the Pioneers’ performance and address some areas that could improve in the second half.

First period

No discussion about DU’s season thus far could be complete without addressing the home vs. road record differentials. As you might expect with a young team (DU’s is the second youngest in Division I), there are bound to be some swings at times. But the record bears a closer look.

The Pioneers have gone 8-0-1 at home, including a sweep of then No. 9 Western Michigan. However, they’ve gone 4-5 on the road, including losses to ranked foes Providence, Boston College, then No. 8 North Dakota twice and then No. 5 Minnesota Duluth. A 5-0 shutout of Duluth is the lone road win against a ranked team. Overall, the Pioneers are 3-5 against ranked teams.

The 16 remaining games include 10 against ranked teams, four of which are on the road (at Omaha and at Western Michigan) and six of which are at home (St. Cloud State, Duluth and Omaha).

If DU is eying a top seed in the NCAA Tournament (and remember they’re the designated hosts for the Loveland Regional), it seems questionable that a 5-5 mark against the remaining ranked teams will get it done.

The other six games are against Miami and Colorado College, and the Pioneers can reasonably be expected to win at least four of those. Keep in mind, their only road sweep thus far has been at Arizona State.

Add it up, and the Pioneers should surpass the 20-win plateau (the Tenzer streak resumes!), but they have to play better against the big dogs and better on the road to go much above that marker.

That starts with the top line. Of its 68 points, just four have come in the five losses. So the other 64 have come in 13 games, an average of almost five per game. Most nights the trio of Cole Guttman–Bobby Brink–Carter Savoie is the driver for Denver. Opponents know that and are doing their best to take the trio out of games, or at least limit their clean looks. When they succeed, the Pioneers struggle.

Second period

Given Denver’s strong scoring numbers, it’s easy to imagine a lights out power play. That’s been true in stretches, and with mark of 25.9 percent (22 total goals) DU is tied for fourth in D-I. Its next opponent, St. Cloud State, is first at 35.4. The DU power play has struck in 11 of the 18 games, and it has not gone more than three games without denting the scoresheet.

Savoie (5), Massimo Rizzo (4) and Brink and Brett Stapley (3 each) have done the most damage with the man advantage, and three others have two PPGs.

The penalty kill, which started abysmally and has steadily improved. In fact, DU has allowed just three power-play goals in its past seven games, and it blanked Arizona State after giving up six in the season-opening series. It allowed just one in two games to Duluth. So it’s no longer a question of can, but will.

Overall, the PK sits at 73.1 percent, and opponents actually are fairing marginally better against the Pioneers. However, Denver has many more power-play chances so it’s outscored foes 22-18 on the power play, 20-12 after the first weekend.

The other thing working in the Pioneers’ favor is they don’t take a lot of penalties (5.5 per game), so even if the PK isn’t all-world, it shouldn’t cost them too badly most nights.

And DU is excellent in the circle, winning almost 55 percent of its face-offs. For a puck possession team, that is a massive help.

Third period

Add it all up and what do the Pioneers need to do better to enjoy a long NCAA Tournament run?

There are a handful of things:

First, DU has to be tight defensively. As noted after a New Year’s night tie vs. Fairbanks, the Pioneers let the Nanooks have a lot of uncontested looks and easy entries into the zone. Most teams get in trouble when opponents enjoy extended stays in the offensive zone, and DU is no exception. Often that isn’t a problem because DU transitions the puck as well as any team out there.

Second, it needs to continue to get offensive contributions from up and down the lineup. There is no reason to believe that won’t happen.

And third, it needs the win-streak version of Magnus Chrona (10 goals allowed in seven games) or something very close to it. His stats aren’t bad. His 2.40 goals-against average is slightly better than last year, but well above his freshman season’s 2.15. His save percentage of .902 is well below his freshman peak of .920, suggesting there is room to improve. He doesn’t post many shutouts (four in 61 career games), but he plays well enough to keep DU in games. With the firepower the Pioneers have up and down their lineup, that’s usually sufficient.

The last word: At its best DU can play with any team in Division I. The key will be sustaining that in a series of win or go home games when it makes its return to the NCAA Tournament. If the Pioneers let up, it’s susceptible to a surprise. If the team that swept Western Michigan or shut out Minnesota Duluth shows up, look out.

©First Line Editorial 2022