By now we probably shouldn’t be surprised. No. 3 Denver won another overtime game.

For the third time in the past four Saturday games the fourth time this season, the Pioneers used the extra session to gain an extra point, this time stunning Omaha, 3-2, at Magness Arena.

“We’re finding ways to win hockey games,” DU coach David Carle said. “Omaha showed a lot of fight and really took it to us at times. There was great goaltending on both ends.”

Before Cole Guttman ended it 55 seconds into OT with a shot from prime real estate in front of the Omaha net, he received a brilliant feed from Jarid Lukosevicius. The senior was working his way around the lower left circle with the puck and found a lane to Guttman, whose tally gave the Pioneers their seventh win in a row.

Before that, there had been the minor matter of Denver (14-4-2, 6-4 NCHC) getting to overtime.

The Mavericks had gone ahead with about 3 minutes left in the second period on Zach Jordan‘s power play goal. From there, Omaha, which sought to shed a 13-game losing streak to the hosts, did just about everything right.

Evan Weninger was outstanding for the second night in a row in net, making 39 saves, including 11 in the third period. The Mavericks clogged the shooting lanes, blocking 22 shots.

However, the one Weninger didn’t stop in the third came off the stick of defenseman Ian Mitchell and appeared to deflect off an Omaha player’s stick with 1:21 to go in regulation and Denver’s net empty.

“He (Weninger) was unbelievable,” Carle said. “They showed a lot of desperation as a group, blocking out at the net front, blocking shots. Their D zone coverage caused us problems. They pressured pucks well, took away time and space.

“It was going to take something like that tonight to beat Evan. If he saw it he stopped it. … You need it some puck luck sometimes and we got some.”

Firing away

Denver fired 30 shots on Weninger in the first two periods, but had just Liam Finlay‘s power-play goal with 7:05 to play in the second to show for it. The goal extended the junior’s career high to 10 and his assist on Mitchell’s goal gave him a career high 21 points.

The Mavericks (6-12-2, 2-6-2-0 NCHC) had first gone ahead on Mason Morelli‘s team-high 13th goal three minutes earlier. Both Omaha goals were set up by Fredrik Olofsson of Broomfield.

Freshman Filip Larsson finished with 29 saves for DU and has won four games in a row in the absence of injured Devin Cooley.

OT magic

It was the sixth time the Pioneers have rallied to get points out of a game that has ended in overtime. In addition to Saturday’s win, there are these other five:

• On Oct. 20, they scored the final three goals of the game, the last two in the final two minutes, to tie Alaska-Fairbanks
• On Nov. 3, they defeated Western Michigan in overtime after the Broncos had rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period
• On Nov. 24, an early third-period goal rallied them to a tie vs. Providence
• On Dec. 8, Larsson stood on his head at North Dakota, and the Pioneers won in overtime after going nearly all of regulation without a goal.
• Last Saturday, they dialed a similar number by tying the game midway through the third period and winning in overtime.

“The group has a hunger to win hockey games,” Carle said. “The moment doesn’t overcome them, and obviously we have great leadership.”

Denver’s three stars

1. Cole Guttman. His 10th goal was the first game-winner of his college career.
2. Ian Mitchell. Strong at both ends of the ice, as he is most nights, he outwaited the Omaha defense and got the puck to the net to tie it
3. Liam Finlay. He had a hand in Mitchell’s goal and rallied DU the first time with a power-play strike.

Up next

The Pioneers play a home-and-home series vs. Colorado College. Friday’s game is at 7:30 p.m. at World Arena, while Saturday’s game is at 7:07 p.m. at Magness Arena.

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