Magnus Chrona feels good, really good. And that’s not good news for Omaha, Denver’s upcoming opponent in the first round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff on Saturday afternoon.

A member of the conference’s all-rookie team a year ago, Chrona’s sequel season hasn’t quite measured up numerically – nor has the Pioneers’ for that matter – but he’s unfazed.

“I’ve felt better than last year even though the results might show it,” he said recently. “The results so far might not have been what we wanted, but we’re 100 percent in with each other. The only people who can pull us through this is us.”

“This” is DU’s 9-12-1 record and its first finish outside of the top half of the NCHC standings since the league began playing in 2013. For team that many, including yours truly, penciled in for a deep postseason run a sub-.500 record in this most irregular of regular seasons was a jolt.

Magnus Chrona

Some of Chrona’s numbers are off somewhat from a season ago – his goals-against average is up to 2.43 from 2.15 last season (which was second in the NCHC) and his save percentage sits at .908, down from a conference-leading .920. The big difference, however, is winning percentage (.375, down from .692).

Yet the 2018 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose name should not be confused with the Swedish currency Krona, has been money in his past five starts, allowing just 11 goals, while winning three times, beginning with a 3-1 victory on Feb. 5 vs. Omaha.

“He would say he wasn’t completely satisfied with his play in the (NCHC’s) bubble (in December, where he went 2-6),” senior Jake Durflinger said. “Since then … he was lights out vs. Omaha. In North Dakota we were in both games, and a huge part of that was because of him. Our first period at Colorado Springs (on Feb. 25, an eventual 5-1 win) might have been one of our worst of the season. The only reason we were still in it was because of him. We could have been down 2-0 or 3-0.”

The Covid-induced schedule upheaval has made it tough for Chrona and his teammates to get into any sort of groove, but he said there have been some silver linings.

“It’s nice to have a rhythm, but we haven’t been able to get comfortable all season,” he said. “We have to be adaptable. There are always details to work on. For me, I need to continue working on my speed. I work on that every week.”

Durflinger said the Chrona that fans see – the level-headed version – shrouds a highly competitive player.

“He’s always level-headed, but he has an unbelievable compete level,” the forward said. “It’s much more evident in practice than in games. It’s never easy against him.”

The hope is Chrona carries that into Saturday’s game.

“We know we need him to win,” Durflinger said. “And when he’s on, we feed off him.”

Chrona likes the NCHC’s adjusted single-elimination format.

“The single game could benefit us,” he said. “It helps us not look ahead. When we do that, we execute better.

“We’ve beaten (No. 2) North Dakota two times so we know we’re capable.”

©First Line Editorial 2021