No. 7 Denver got the start it wanted at Duluth, Minn. The finish was a different story.

No. 4 Minnesota Duluth scored three third-period goals and took a 5-2 NCHC victory on Friday night.

The outcome was notable for a variety of reasons. First, it was the rare matchup between the teams that wasn’t decided by a goal, as 9 of the previous 12 had been.

The margin of victory was the Bulldogs’ widest against the Pioneers since they routed DU 6-1 on Oct. 25, 2014. It also was the largest spread in a game since Denver gained a 3-0 win on Nov. 13, 2015.

Secondly, combined with North Dakota’s 5-1 shellacking of No. 9 Western Michigan, the Pioneers moved back into a tie with the Fighting Hawks for fourth in the NCHC race. Both teams trail the Broncos by four points, but Denver has a game in hand.

And the loss dropped Denver to 1-6 on the road in NCHC play this season.

Early momentum

Les Lancaster gave Denver (15-7-4, 7-7-4 NCHC) a quick 1-0 lead with a blast from above the right circle over Hunter Shepard‘s blocker just 2:50 in.

But Duluth (18-7-2, 11-5-2 NCHC) answered just 1:11 later on Justin Richards‘ goal on a rebound between the circles.

The Pioneers finished the first with a shots on goal edge (10-7) for the only period of the night.

“I thought we had a really nice first period,” DU coach David Carle said. “We executed our game plan. We played with energy and we played with emotion.

“They got faster as the game went on. Their transition to offense was very good and it made us pay.”

Tide turns

Nick Swaney‘s team-high 12th goal gave the Bulldogs the lead for good midway through the second, when UMD slowly began to carry more of the play. Swaney carried the puck into the DU zone and a short time later buried a feed from Noah Cates from behind the net past Filip Larsson (24 saves).

Both goalies were strong in the period, particularly Larsson, who made nine saves, more than a few at point-blank range.

Two goals in a 1:06 span midway through the third period staked Duluth to a 4-1 lead.

Richards beat Larsson on a forehand-backhand move after reaching an area pass just inside the Pioneers line ahead of a DU defender. Then Tanner Laderoute banged in a rebound of a shot by Jackson Cates that had hit a pipe.

Ryan Barrow got one back for DU with 3:46 to play. Griffin Mendel followed up a good exit pass out of the Denver zone by reclaiming the puck in the high slot. Shepard stopped his shot but not Barrow’s from the left doorstep.

The Pioneers drew no closer, and Cole Koepke‘s empty-netter with 46 seconds left sealed it.

Denver’s three stars

1. Ryan Barrow. Not only did he score, but he, Colin Staub and Jaakko Heikkinen were DU’s best line. Each was plus-2 in a minus-three outcome.
2. Les Lancaster. He forced the issue on offense and was rewarded with a goal. Also a plus player on a night there weren’t many of them.
3. Griffin Mendel. The burly blue liner was even and made a nice play to set up Barrow.

Up next

The teams wrap up the series Saturday at Duluth at 6:07 p.m.

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