It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.

Third-ranked Denver got goals from five different players and 20 saves from Magnus Chrona to defeat Miami, 5-2, in Game 1 of an NCHC quarterfinal series at Magness Arena.

The Pioneers (26-8-1) overcame an early Redhawks goal by Chase Pletzke to score the next four over a 40-minute span beginning 7:25 into the first period.

Senior centers Cole Guttman and Brett Stapley bookended the scoring spree with power-play strikes. Guttman’s was his 16th, while Stapley’s was his 15th. In between freshman Jack Devine and sophomore McKade Webster tallied 31 seconds apart early in the second period.

Shai Buium added a bank-shot empty-net goal. Stapley drew an assist on that, giving him 40 points, and Webster had one on Devine’s goal. Defenseman Mike Benning also added a pair of helpers, sending him past the 30-point threshold.

The Pioneers, as they do on many nights, fashioned a substantial shots on goal edge – 38-22. The also won nearly 60 percent of the game’s face-offs (35 of 59).

If there is a concern emerging from the win, which leaves top-seeded DU one victory away from returning to the Frozen Face-off, it was the amount of penalties in the game. The teams combined for 19 minutes, nine by the Pioneers. Given their penalty kill’s ups and downs this season (it went 5-for-6 Friday), that is not a pattern they’d like to see continue.

Meanwhile, Chrona was steady and solid, challenged only surges by the Redhawks (7-26-2), who clearly wanted to goad DU’s top players into taking front-row seats in the penalty box.

Around the NCHC

In other Game 1s in the quarterfinal round:

• Second-seeded North Dakota edged Colorado College, 2-1, on second-period goals by defensemen Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven.
• Third-seeded Western Michigan scored three times in the third period to overcome Omaha, 4-2.
• Fifth-seeded Minnesota Duluth rode a four-goal second period to a 5-2 win at St. Cloud State.

©First Line Editorial 2022