Necessity is the mother of invention … and it’s also one big reason No. 4 Denver snapped out of its NCHC funk with a 6-1 victory over No. 20 Western Michigan on Saturday night at Magness Arena.

Freshman Bobby Brink scored two goals, set up linemate Tyler Ward‘s tally and combined with Ward and Jaakko Heikkinen to put up 10 points in the Pioneers’ highest-scoring game since Nov. 1. Ward had a career-high four points.

But there is a big difference between hanging six on Niagara, which as you read this has three wins – all in Atlantic Hockey play, as opposed to a ranked NCHC team, even one that came to Denver as depleted as the Broncos (7-5-2, 3-2-1-1 NCHC) did.

Not only did it finally give the Pioneers a much-needed NCHC win, the game also marked the first time in five games that Denver (9-3-2, 1-3-2-1) scored more than two goals. Simply put, the Pioneers played as complete a game as they have all season.

“We struggled with playing 60 minutes of playing Denver hockey the past couple games,” said Jake Durflinger, who scored Denver’s third goal and second in a 1:46 stretch of the second period. “We’ve had moments where we play good, and unfortunately moments when we play bad. In the NCHC you’ve got to play a full 60 to win games.”

Fast start

One night after watching the Broncos dominate the opening period, the remade Pioneers lineup took it to the guests from the opening face-off.

Minus top-nine forwards Ryan Barrow and Cole Guttman, who was injured late in Friday’s game, Denver coach David Carle put the previously struggling Brink (one assist in his previous six games) with two of the players who’ve been among DU’s most consistent recently.

Carle also placed sophomores Brett Stapley and Emilio Pettersen with senior Kohen Olischefski, and put Durflinger with freshman Brett Edwards and junior Jack Doremus, whose power-play strike finished the scoring with 3:23 to go.

“Hopefully we found something there (with Brink’s trio),” Carle said. “I loved Jaakko’s game, he was possessing pucks and making plays. Bob had a lot of jump.

“It was good to see some balance, and a new line emerged that could give us some offensive firepower. … It was forced certainly by the injury, but we wanted to try some different looks.

“All four lines were going, we had no passengers.”

Brink scored a beautiful goal 10:33 into the game when he looked off a defender and snapped a rocket from the left dot between the near post and WMU starter Brandon Bussi (23 saves). That gave Denver its first since 2:27 of the second period on Nov. 9 at Minnesota Duluth, and that lead lasted just 5:01.

“There was a sense we needed to play with a level of desperation,” Carle said. “I don’t know if I’d call it a must-win, but we needed to come out and give ourselves a chance from our work ethic and not having people sit back on their heels. From the first period, that’s where the tone was set.

“We haven’t had great starts. To show that level of desperation in a moment of adversity is a really positive sign.”

The floodgates open

Western tied things early in the second on Rhett Kingston‘s goal, which came shortly after DU had killed off the first two Broncos power plays. But Ward and Durflinger sent the Pioneers into the second intermission with a 3-1 lead.

Ward’s goal came after Brink retrieved a rebound and sent a circle-to-circle pass from right to left.

“We were just reading off each other well,” Ward said. “We haven’t even practiced together but we were communicating on the bench well and on the ice, and I think it showed.”

Denver took three more steps in the direction of solving its recent power-play woes during the third period. A man advantage that had gone just 1 for its previous 23 coming into the game went 3 for 3 in the third.

Heikkinen buried a tip pass from Emilio Petterson 2:31 into the third to finish Bussi’s night. Brink scored on his off wing from nearly the same spot as his first goal when he hammered Petterson’s cross-slot pass at 8:50. And Doremus struck from the lower right circle off another cross-slot pass from Kyle Mayhew, who outwaited a WMU defender before finding Doremus.

Last line of defense

Capping the all-around effort was junior goaltender Devin Cooley, who made his first start of the season after not dressing for the first 10 games because of an injury and sitting behind freshman Magnus Chrona for the past three.

Cooley made 14 of his 24 saves in the second period, but his effort all game was yet another welcome sight, Carle said.

“He made the first save and he made a couple of rebound saves,” the coach said. “He tracked pucks off his body well, and stuck with it. He got us some key whistles, too.”

Durflinger said the goaltender’s return was another motivator for him and his teammates.

“Devin worked his ass off this summer, then struggled with an injury and worked hard in his rehab,” Durflinger said. “Guys are really excited for him. That’s a big win for the team and also for him.”

Notable

Captain Ian Mitchell, who started the season with a seven-game point streak then went scoreless the past six games, had two assists. … Doremus’ goal was his first this season, and Mayhew’s assist was his first point of the campaign. … Freshman Jay Feiwell dressed as the 13th forward for the second time this season. … Barrow has missed five games because of an upper body injury, and freshman defenseman Justin Lee missed his third because an upper body injury.

©First Line Editorial 2019