2022 NCAA semifinal: Denver (29-9-1) vs. Michigan (31-9-1)

Thursday, April 7, 3 p.m. MDT

Overview: This is first of what should be two very exciting Frozen Four semifinals. The Pioneers are the top-scoring team in Division I, while Michigan is No. 3. The other matchup features Minnesota State (second) vs. Minnesota (tied for fourth). Even though playoff hockey tends to be low-scoring, all signs point to some offense making more than a cameo appearance at Boston. Both DU and Michigan have excellent transition games and plenty of NHL-quality talent. The Pioneers have 12 draft picks in their lineup, and Michigan has seven first-round picks. Minnesota has an NCAA-best 14 draft picks. Etch these games in the memory banks because we’ll be hearing a lot of these names in the future.

How they got here: Denver won a share of the NCHC regular-season title, then won the Loveland Regional, defeating UMass-Lowell 3-2 and Minnesota Duluth 2-1. Michigan won the Big Ten title, then captured the Allentown Regional, beating AIC 5-3 and Quinnipiac 7-4.

NCAA histories: This is Denver’s 18th trip to the Frozen Four, and it has won the championship eight times. The only team that has more is … Michigan, with nine. The Pioneers have won it three times (2004, ’05 and ’17) since Michigan last won it in 1998. The Wolverines are making their record 26th Frozen Four appearance. Michigan also won it in 1996, but before that the program had not won a title since 1964, when it defeated the Pioneers. The teams have met only three times in the NCAA Tournament, and Michigan has won all three meetings, the last of which came on March 23, 2002 in the quarterfinal round.

Series record: DU leads 46-36-1

The numbers game: The teams are almost statistical mirror images of each other. Denver has scored 4.28 goals per game, Michigan 4.02. Opponents have scored 2.31 goals per game against the Pioneers and 2.22 against the Wolverines. Michigan has small edges in special teams percentages (26.8% on the power play to 24.3% and 82.9% on the penalty kill to 79.6%). However, the Pioneers’ PK has killed off 20 of opponents’ past 21 chances against it, and they blanked UMass-Lowell and Minnesota Duluth this past weekend in winning the Loveland Regional.

Shooting stars: Both teams are deep in the scoring department. The Wolverines have four forwards with 36 points or more – Matty Berniers (43, 20 goals), Brendan Brisson (42, 21 goals), Kent Johnson (37, 29 assists) and Thomas Bordeleau (36, 25 assists). In addition, Luke Hughes is the top-scoring defenseman in D-I with 39 points and 17 goals. … Denver counters with six forwards with 34 or more points (Bobby Brink – 56, 42 assists; Cole Guttman 45, 19 goals; Carter Savoie (44, 22 goals); Brett Stapley (41, 16 goals); Carter Mazur (36, 22 assists); Massimo Rizzo (34, 23 assists) plus defenseman Mike Benning (who has 14 goals among his 34 points). Throw in grad transfer Cameron Wright’s 21 goals and you have a lineup with plenty of firepower. Brink, Berniers and Hughes are three of the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, so if you want star power, you’ve got it in this game.

Masked men: A pair of rangy Swedes will man the nets. Sophomore Erik Portillo (6-foot-6) has gone 31-9-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a sparkling .926 save percentage. Denver’s Magnus Chrona has gone 26-8-1 record, with a 2.16 gaa and .909 save percentage. The 6-foot-5 junior was excellent at Loveland, and he has allowed just 12 goals in his past seven starts dating to late February.

The last word: I stated on the Ice Time Hockey SW podcast on Saturday night this was the matchup I wanted to see. If you love elite-level skill and skating, the transition game and end-to-end action, this is the game for you. As much as the respective coaches will want to contain the other team, the teams’ talent lends itself to what should be a highly entertaining, offensively tilted game.

©First Line Editorial 2022