No. 4 Denver proved it can win any way you’d like this weekend, stifling high-flying and seventh-ranked St. Cloud State, 2-0, on Saturday at Magness Arena.

The shutout – which was Magnus Chrona‘s career-high fifth of the season – came on the heels of an 8-5 victory Friday in which the Pioneers (20-5-1, 13-3 NCHC) scored eight of that game’s final 10 goals.

On Saturday, freshman Carter King scored his first NCAA goal with 2:49 to go in the second period when he gathered a rebound of Connor Caponi‘s shot from the slot, then got the rebound of his own shot and beat David Hrenak (34 saves) to make it 1-0.

At the other end of the spectrum, senior captain Cole Guttman salted the game away with a power-play strike with 3:51 left in the game and the Pioneers enjoying a five-minute power-play courtesy of a Huskies major for the second night in a row. Guttman has points in five of the past six games.

Another five-minute buffet on Friday let the Pioneers back into that game. Trailing 3-0, Carter Savoie scored two of his three goals during that man advantage, part of his three-goal period. Senior Brett Stapley had two goals, and Cameron Wright, Guttman and Bobby Brink  also struck. Brink, freshman defenseman Sean Behrens and freshman winger Carter Mazur each had three assists, and freshman defenseman Shai Buium had two helpers.

Chrona made 22 saves on Saturday, and DU outshot the Huskies (14-8) 36-22. St. Cloud State was without coach Brett Larsen and two of its best players – defenseman Nick Perbix and forward Sam Hentges – who are part of the Team USA contingent at the Winter Olympics.

©First Line Editorial 2022