A few observations from DU’s victory Saturday night:

Turning point: The third period of Friday night’s game, when the Pioneers stormed back from a 2-1 deficit to win, 4-2. It might not seem possible, but DU carried that momentum into a strong start Saturday, scoring less than two minutes in, and never letting up all game. The Pioneers were constantly in the Spartans’ zone, and the 41-16 shot margin reflected that. “I really liked the way we played coming off last night,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “The carryover from last night, being aggressive.”

How DU won: Junior center Matt Marcinew twice scored goals early in a period, and Tanner Jaillet stopped all 16 shots he faced, including a couple could have changed the momentum. Marcinew was a force in the circle and on defense as well. “Matt is a tireless worker … he has a great shot,” Montgomery said. “Him and (Grant) Arnold have brought fitness and energy and have taken the entire team to whole nother level.” The Pioneers beat the Spartans to a vast majority of loose pucks and tightened their team defense up another notch.

Welcome back: The Pioneers clearly received a boost from Arnold’s return as well as that of defenseman Adam Plant for the Michigan State series. Arnold was active all weekend, setting up Marcinew’s second goal and freshman linemante Jarid Lukosevicius’ first college goal in the third period. “(Arnold) is a great leader. It’s hard to explain how much he means to this team,” Montgomery said of his senior captain. “Grant is 15 pounds lighter this season. He has the puck more because he’s winning more foot races.” … Plant also was a presence throughout the series. “Plant is one of our top three d-men. He plays 20-plus minutes every night, plays in every situation,” Montgomery said. “He’s like a nice cozy blanket. You feel secure when he’s out there.”

By the numbers: A 41-16 DU shot edge is one thing, but the amount of faceoffs in the MSU zone was even more telling. Unofficially, DU took 33 faceoffs in the offensive zone, compared to just 17 in its own zone. Even when the Pioneers lost draws they often controlled the puck in short order because of their speed and puck pursuit. … One wonders what the score might have been had not Jake Hildebrand played up to his All-American billing in the Spartans’ net. The senior’s positioning was exceptional.

Lineup changes: The Pioneers made three: On defense, sophomore Tariq Hammond replaced junior Nick Neville. Lukosevicius stepped in for fellow freshman forward Colin Staub. And Jaillet got the start in net one night after Evan Cowley’s 25-save victory in the series opener. Jaillet recorded the Pioneers’ first shutout of the season. “He made one save in the first where he took a shot off the side of the head. He stood in there. If he goes down, that’s probably a goal,” Montgomery said. “I’m really happy with our two goalies. Their level of play is so much higher than last year.”

@MagnessMayhem