Is it easier to be the hunter than the hunted?

The University of Denver hockey team is about to find out. When the top-ranked Pioneers open their season at fourth-ranked Notre Dame this weekend, not only will it be a rematch of a Frozen Four triumph in April but it should provide an early indication of how DU plans to integrate several new faces into its lineup. Six or seven spots in the 20-man game lineup will feature new faces (backup goalie, 2-3 defensemen and 3-4 forwards).

One thing is for certain, the decisions of Troy Terry, Dylan Gambrell and Henrik Borgstrom to defer going pro for at least another year, as well as coach Jim Montgomery‘s commitment to remain with the program lend plenty of credence to the Pioneers again being one of the nation’s elite programs. An almost unheard of third trip in a row to the Frozen Four isn’t out of the question.

“I say this every year – we start a new journey,” Montgomery said. “Our journey’s about to start and it’s about how good we can become. The biggest question mark is how hard are we going to be to play against?”

There are several areas that bear watching, not the least of which are how do the Pioneers deal with having a target on their backs, who fills in various roles behind the returning scorers, and who emerges, or in other words takes the step that players such as Terry and Jarid Lukosevicius, most notably, did last season?

 

Carrying a bulls-eye

Terry said the experience the Pioneers gained last season en route to a title should prove especially valuable as they navigate the NCHC and non-conference games against tournament teams Notre Dame, Boston University and Air Force. Mix in Boston College and you have the makings of a tough schedule.

“We learned how hard it is to win it and what it takes every weekend,” the junior assistant captain said. “Our biggest thing is we know we’re not going to have an easy weekend this year. No matter who we’re playing we have a target on our back.

“It’s going to be one of their biggest games of the year when they have a shot at us. We know that as a team, and I think it’s a challenge we’re excited for.”

Entering the season ranked No. 1 is neither a help nor a hindrance said senior goaltender Tanner Jaillet, the reigning Mike Richter Award winner.

“We like to keep our tunnel vision,” he said. “It’s nice to be ranked No. 1, but it really doesn’t mean anything at this point. We’re not looking toward that, and I’m sure the other teams in the league aren’t looking toward that either.”

The process resets every season for the Pioneers, but the challenge can be figuring out the roles for players up and down the roster, and collectively forging an identity. Every player I spoke with said last season is done and gone.

“It’s good (to receive) praise, and we get that, and we know we have a talented team,” senior captain Tariq Hammond said. “Then again, we have to find our identity like we’ve done in years past. We can’t compare ourselves to last year’s team, we’ve just got to do our thing and focus on the journey ahead of us.

“I like where our team mindset is at, and I like the guys we have for this journey.”

Filling in the gaps up front

Offense shouldn’t be a problem for the Pioneers most nights. Eight of the top 11 scorers return and a total of 10 players who hit double figures are back. DU’s 286 returning points are second only to Air Force’s 322.

Any conversation about the offense is going to start with what are expected to be the top two lines to start the season. In Terry (46 points, 22 goals), Gambrell (43, 13) and Lukosevicius (32, 16) the Pioneers have a line that can – and will – score any number of ways. Teams that focus too much attention on that line run the risk of having the ridiculously entertaining group of fantastic Fin Borgstrom, freshman countryman Jakko Heikkinen and Liam Finlay (20, 8) running wild.

The question becomes what then? Well, the Pioneers’ cupboard is hardly bare. Juniors Colin Staub (20, 10) and Logan O’Connor (18, 7) are on hand, as is sophomore Tyson McLellan (11, 5). Senior Rudy Junda is knocking on the door for minutes, too.

The freshmen class includes a lot of offensive upside as well, particularly from BCHLers Kohen Olischefski (76, 24) and Ryan Barrow (68, 28) and a lot of speed and grit from USHL prospects Jack Doreumus and Jake Durflinger.

“I think this is clearly the most explosive and offensively gifted team during my tenure at Denver, and I give all credit to my assistants for the talent they’ve brought in, the character kids,” Montgomery said.

Who could take a big step up front? Montgomery’s answer might come as a bit of a surprise given what this player achieved as a freshman.

“For Henrik, it’s amazing how much strength he’s put on,” the coach said. “But I think the biggest thing for him is to gain that professional consistency, coming every day to get better. It’s scary how good he can be if he attains that simple goal.

“He looks a lot stronger on the ice, his stride looks stronger. In general with the returners from last year I’m really happy with how hard they worked this summer.”

For the second season in a row the Pioneers lost a couple of face-off aces, this time Matt Marcinew and Evan Ritt. But with a stronger Borgstrom, a healthy Gambrell and McLellan, the Pioneers return quite a bit of strength up the middle.

“Gambrell last year with his thumb he didn’t play center until February,” Montgomery said. “In our national championship game, that weekend actually, he was our best face-off guy. I’m excited about what he can do. And if Nickie Borgstrom puts his mind to anything he’d be the best at whatever he wants to be.”

New-look D

A defense that lost Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher and stalwart Matt VanVoorhis is hardly decimated, but Hammond’s recovery from two ankle surgeries and the possibility that he might not play until November means the group will have a different look to start the season.

One of the biggest differences is its size. Holdovers Adam Plant (5-foot-10), Michael Davies (5-8) and Blake Hillman (6-1) will be joined by sophomore Erich Fear (6-4), freshman Griffin Mendel (6-3) and junior Sean Mostrom (6-2). The outlier is freshman Ian Mitchell, who is a shade under 6 feet but also was a second round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks. When Hammond rejoins the group, it adds another 6-2 presence.

“From practice and some scrimmages, you can see (why) Mitchy went pretty high in the draft. He’s a very skilled D man so hopefully we can pick up some of the offense we lost with Butchy,” Davies said. “Mendel is a big body, kind of like Fearsy and he moves well. So hopefully we can see some more big guys in the lineup and help us little guys.”

Collectively, the group’s abilities mesh well with Montgomery’s vision of being tough to play against. And the level and quality of depth is more than might appear on the surface.

“All our defensemen have really raised their level,” Montgomery said. “We’re really happy with the two freshmen. We’re really happy with Erich Fear and Sean Mostrom. We have a little bit of a luxury to be patient with Tariq.

“We have the luxury with the quality of depth we have at every position, but especially D and forward. Erich Fear, he didn’t play a lot of games here last season, but I think he’d be 3 or 4 at a lot of programs.”

Rock in net

Jaillet’s resume is impeccable, and when he’s finished his Pioneers career he should be at or near the top of many major goaltending categories. He went 28-5-4 in 38 games a season ago, fashioning a 1.84 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

It’s a good bet he will play a vast majority of the Pioneers’ games this season if for no other reason than he is backed up by two freshmen without much postseason experience in juniors. Dayton Rasmussen spent the past two seasons in the USHL, playing 16 and 38 games. His numbers typically were in the 2.50 / .913 ranges and he was considered NHL Entry Draft material last season. Devin Cooley also played two years of junior, getting 19 USHL games one season and 24 the next in the NAHL and BCHL.

“All of the seniors relish that role of really mentoring the freshmen and helping them out as much as we can when it comes to practice and class schedules and preparation and things like that,” Jaillet said. “We know that’s our role.”

Jaillet’s durability will be one of the biggest keys to the Pioneers’ season and his guidance for Rasmussen and Cooley will be imperative.

The last word

How will the Pioneers win? The same way they always have under Montgomery. It might appear different because the personnel is different, but the template is the same.

“Last year we won because we were so hard to play against every night,” Montgomery said. “If we can attain that goal then I think we’re going to have a fun ride.

“What makes us hard to play against, that’s our puck pressure. If that comes, with the turnovers we’ve created over the past couple seasons I think this team has the ability to put more pucks in the net.”

Notable

Remarkably, the Pioneers have just five players on their roster who have been drafted by NHL teams – Borgstrom (first round, Florida 2016), Gambrell (second round, San Jose 2016), Hillman (sixth round, Chicago 2016), Mitchell (second round, Chicago 2017) and Terry (fifth round, Anaheim 2015). … Terry and Gambrell are candidates to play for Team USA at the Olympics early next year, a topic Terry addressed in a preseason interview with Magness Mayhem. … By class, the Pioneers have four seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores and nine freshmen.