The NCAA Regional at Loveland provided an excellent example of just how close playoff hockey games can be between two elite teams. A bounce here or there can make all the difference in the world, and on Saturday it did.

Denver lived up to its top seeding with a determined effort against rival Minnesota Duluth, and emerged with a 2-1 victory to clinch the program’s first trip to the Frozen Four since 2019. In the process the Pioneers improved to 3-0 vs. the Bulldogs in NCAA Tournament games. Denver won the national title after each of the first two wins, in 2004 and 2017.

“It was a heck of a battle tonight. It was a heavyweight bout,” Denver coach David Carle said. “We’re very proud of the effort our guys put forth to come out on the positive side. Great response from last weekend I don’t think there was a passenger among our group tonight. That was the most exciting thing to see.”

The Pioneers (29-9-1) endured the Bulldogs’ stingy, pack-it-in defense and overall heavy game with constant pressure, and in the process they did something no team had been able to do in two weekends of playoff hockey – solve junior goaltender Ryan Fanti (33 saves).

Carter Savoie scored the winning goal with 6:16 to play in regulation, his team-high 22nd this season. Defenseman Sean Behrens‘ point shot hit the glass behind the UMD goalie, then hit Fanti and bounced into the blue paint, where Savoie was stationed to Fanti’s right.

“Lucky bounce. Obviously it hit him in the back, just right place at the right time,” Savoie said. “It was a goal of ours to get net front tonight, and I think we did a really good job.

“I saw it bounce off the glass, hit a leg and it was just sitting there.”

The play was initiated by captain Cole Guttman‘s face-off win in the circle to Fanti’s left.

Starting strong

Denver came out of the locker room with plenty of push in a first period that foreshadowed what would be a highly entertaining game.

DU built a 10-2 shots-on-goal edge, but it was the Bulldogs who struck first.

Defenseman Darian Gotz tallied with 5:19 left in the first period. His shot from just inside the blue line eluded Magnus Chrona, who appeared to be screened on the play. It was Gotz’s second of the season – both against Denver in games played in Colorado.

“The first period was definitely tough. Two shots,” said Chrona, who made 23 saves. “Everyone did a really good job on the PK. Fanti’s a great goalie. We had great battles this year.”

The Pioneers evened things up when Bobby Brink engaged Bulldogs defenseman Louie Roehl at the boards to Fanti’s right and forced the puck into the middle of the ice just above the circles. Guttman got to it and fired a shot past Fanti with 2:36 to go in the first.

Not only was the goal Guttman’s 19th, but it ended Fanti’s incredible shutout streak at 224:41.

“Going into the game we definitely wanted to get shots on this guy early, and I thought we had a really good period, pucks just weren’t going in,” Guttman said. “I just wanted to throw it on net, and it was nice to see it go through.”

Denver captain Cole Guttman had a goal and an assist Saturday. Photo courtesy of Justin Tafoya/Clarkson Creative via Denver Athletics

Killing it

Another encouraging development for the Pioneers was their penalty kill, which has been up and down this season, pitching a 7-for-7 shutout at the Regional. And at no time was it more important than midway through the second period when DU was assessed back-to-back tripping penalties, giving the Bulldogs a 48-second 5-on-3.

“I liked our pressure,” Carle said. “Over the last little bit here we’ve solidified our forward PK pairs. There’s some consistency there, which I think has helped the players a lot reading off one another. Our puck pressure was excellent. On the 5-on-3, (McKade) Webster‘s block was unbelievable. We need big moments. I thought the kill was good all weekend and (Chrona) was a big part of it, too.”

It should come as no surprise that the game came right down to the closing minute. Each team had 14 goals total over the previous five meetings this season, including last Friday’s 2-0 UMD win in an NCHC Frozen Face-off semifinal.

“When you play Duluth you’ve got to play a full 60, and I think that’s what we did,” Guttman said “We knew it was going to come down to battle at the end.”

DU’s win ends the Bulldogs’ run of Frozen Four appearances at four. The teams split their season series 3-3, but the Pioneers ultimately emerged with the one that matters most.

“It came down to a bounce,” Duluth coach Scott Sandelin said. “There are things in the game you can control and things you can’t.”

Notes: DU made a couple of changes of lines. Left wings Savoie and Ryan Barrow traded places. Barrow, who played in his 166th game – one short of tying the DU record, was with Guttman and Brink. Savoie played with Brett Stapley and Jack Devine. “We talk about how deep we are, anybody can play with anybody, and it’s going to be a good outcome,” Guttman said. “His game brings a hard element, especially down low. He was great on the forecheck for us.” And getting Savoie away from the Bulldogs’ top defensive pairing of Matt Anderson and Roehl was a fact in that as well. “We tried to open some ice for him,” Carle said. … The all-Regional team included Savoie, Guttman and Duluth’s Kobe Roth at forwards, Fanti as the goaltender, and Behrens and Gotz on defense. … The Pioneers will play the winner of Sunday’s Michigan-Quinnipiac game in a national semifinal on April 7.

©First Line Editorial 2022