How would No. 7 Denver respond to a four-game slump in which its offense was about as consistent as Colorado’s weather?

With one of the wildest games – if not the wildest one – of the season.

The Pioneers spotted Miami a very early goal then charged back with four of its own in the first period – three by sophomore left wing Tyler Ward – en route to a 7-3 NCHC victory. The teams traded four goals in the second period before settling down in the third.

“The biggest thing is we wanted a high level of effort,” Denver coach David Carle said. “If we do that, we give ourselves a chance.

“We’ve done that at different moments the last four games and pucks weren’t going in for us. Tonight they found a way into the back of the net. Yeah, we needed to win a hockey game, and we needed to play well doing it.”

In addition, each of three reviewed goals – all in a crazy second period – counted. Two for Miami (6-18-5, 3-13-3-2 NCHC).

The seven goals were as many as DU (18-8-5, 8-7-4-3 NCHC) had scored in it previous 13 periods combined, spanning five games. The seven goals were a season high, and the combined 10 points tied a season high (also vs. Boston College on Oct. 19).

Ward, whose hat trick was the first of his college career and the Pioneers’ first of the season, was far from alone in filling the scoresheet.

Fellow sophomore Cole Guttman had two goals among his career-high four points, captain Ian Mitchell added a third-period goal and two assists, and Hank Crone chipped in a goal and an assist in the second period.

Ward’s furious start quickly earned him a spot on the second power-play unit, and he completed his hat trick with 1:01 to go in the first period when he took a no-look, between-the-legs pass from Tyson McLellan and surprised Miami’s besieged Ryan Larkin (48 saves).

Make mine a combo

New line combinations paid immediate dividends for the Pioneers.

Ward teamed up with Brett Stapley and Liam Finlay (two assists each) to produce seven points. The trio weren’t complete strangers.

“We played together last year, probably half of the year,” Ward said. “It was the first time this year, but it felt good again with those two. They’re such skilled passers and they see the game so well, so they’re easy to play with.”

And Guttman and Crone, who played with Ryan Barrow, accounted for six more.

“We had a good week of practice together,” Guttman said. “We all bring something different. Barrow’s a really hard worker in the corners and on the forecheck, and Crone’s an amazing passer. We just clicked tonight.”

So it was all how the coaches drew it up, right? Well …

“There’s not as much thought to it as you might think,” Carle said. “We sat down as a coaching staff Wednesday, started moving some names around until we got to this. We liked them in practice on Wednesday, they were good again Thursday and decided to go with them tonight.”

Part of the reason for the changes is the lower-body injury freshman wing Bobby Brink is nursing. Another, obviously, was the fact the Pioneers had a total of five goals in their previous four games – all losses.

Miami didn’t help its cause by taking seven penalties, often a result of DU’s superior speed. As it was, the Pioneers had three power-play goals for the third time this season.

“A lot of it started with puck pressure, us being above pucks and in our transitions,” Carle said. “Then the power play was really good. We got some calls in the first period, scored two goals, and I think it gives our bench some momentum.”

On fire in the first

Denver had a sub-.500 record (7-8-3) when its opponents scored first, and Miami wasted no time doing just that. Junior center Casey Gilling, stationed on Magnus Chrona’s back door, buried a feed right through the slot off the stick of Ryan Savage from the right goal line.

Down just 1:32 into the game, the Pioneers responded 1:12 later when Ward gathered the puck after a scrum at the top of the right circle in the Miami zone. Defenseman Jack Clement had no answer for Ward’s forehand-backhand-forehand move, and Ward used his open space at the hashmarks to snap it past Larkin. The goal was Ward’s first in eight games.

Guttman scored less than five minutes later for the first of DU’s three power-play goals. Finlay initiated the play from the left circle, sending the puck to Mitchell near the line, he sent it to the right side to Emilio Pettersen, who quickly found Guttman locked and loaded between the circle.

The sophomore’s strike was his first in seven games and 11th of the season.

Ward struck again with 9:56 to play when he took a stretch pass near the red line from Mitchell, who had retrieved the puck at the DU goal line.

Ward turnstiled another Miami defender, sophomore Bray Crowder, and jetted in alone on Larkin and fired one over the goalie’s shoulder to make it 3-1.

“He’s a guy who’s been struggling lately, gets a hat trick in the first period,” Carle said. “His game was there tonight with and without the puck, and he got rewarded.”

Added Guttman, “We let one in early, he comes out with two really nice goals. That really got the boys going.”

Second act

The Redhawks showed plenty of life in the first half of the second period, pulling to 5-3 halfway through after a pair of reviewed goals stood.

Defenseman Grant Frederic cut the lead to 4-2 with a blast from the right point. It was the senior’s first career goal, and it survived a review.

But just as it did in the first period when challenged, Denver answered right back less than 2 minutes later.

Guttman scored his team-high 12th goal after he stole the puck at the Miami line, passed to Crone and got the puck back on the 2-on-1 and rifled a shot past Larking from the left dot.

The Redhawks got another goal – after a review for a kick- when Chase Pletzke banged one in on Chrona’s left doorstep.

But reviews work both ways, and Crone’s goal in the final minute was counted … after the clock hit 0:00. The final 52 seconds of the second then were replayed, and DU took a 6-3 lead into the locker room.

“It was an honest effort from our team,” Ward said. “In the second we kind of slipped a bit, but the first and third were two really good periods.”

Notes

Brink won’t play Saturday but Carle said he was probably for next weekend’s series at St. Cloud State. … Chrona stopped 20 shots.

©First Line Editorial 2020