2018 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional final

No. 4 Denver (23-9-8) vs. No. 5 Ohio State (25-9-5)

4:30 p.m. MDT, ESPNU / AM 1600

Overview

The fourth spot in the Frozen Four, and a date Thursday with resurgent Minnesota Duluth is on the line when the Pioneers and Buckeyes meet at Allentown, Pa. Denver wasted little time dispatching one Big Ten team (Penn State) 5-1 on Saturday. Ohio State scored two goals in 30 seconds in the first period and built a 4-0 lead in defeating ECAC playoff champion Princeton, which tallied twice in the final 30 seconds to make the outcome seem closer than it was.

Denver update

The Pioneers have won their past five playoff games and have allowed just six goals in the process. That has lowered their goals allowed per game to 2.02,

which is third in Division I. Even though they have D-I’s seventh highest scoring offense (3.35 goals per game) and a host of prolific scorers – Hobey Baker Award finalist Henrik Borgström (52 points, 23 goals), Troy Terry (47 points), Dylan Gambrell (43 points) and Jarid Lukosevicius (21 goals) chief among them – they’re getting it done in all phases right now. Mike Richter Award finalist Tanner Jaillet (22-8-7, .930, 1.83 GAA) is a big reason why the defense has been stout, but the senior will be the first one to tell that his defense and the forwards are making his life in the crease easier by clearing people and pucks out of the way. A win today not only puts DU back in a third Frozen Four in a row but will give Jaillet the program record for victories, which he shares with Athletic Director Ron Grahame. Denver’s power play is No. 12 (22.5 percent) and it’s penalty kill is eighth (85 percent).

MORE: Pioneers dominate NCAA Tournament opener

Ohio State update

The Buckeyes come in on a 7-1 run, that includes two overtime wins in the Big Ten Tournament and an overtime loss to Notre Dame in the championship game. They average the 10th most goals in D-I (3.21) and have the seventh-most efficient power play (23.9 percent). The ringleaders are a trio of forwards – junior Tanner Laczynski (45 points, 16 goals), junior Mason Jobst (42 points, 20 goals) and senior Matthew Weis (37 points, 12 goals). Senior goaltender Sean Romeo has a 21-9-5 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .925 save percentage. He’s the backbone of a defense that allows just 2.10 goals per game and boasts the top penalty kill in D-I (89.1 percent). That the Buckeyes are so strong on special teams should come as no surprise to longtime Colorado hockey followers. Associate head coach Steve Miller was on George Gwozdecky‘s staff when DU won back-to-back titles in 2004-05, he was on Providence’s staff when it won in 2015 and he was on Air Force’s the past two seasons, when the Falcons had the best PK in D-I.

How it could go down

The teams are statistical mirror images of one another. The advantage I see is Denver has loads of tournament experience and is going for a third consecutive Frozen Four berth, a destination the Buckeyes have never reached.

©First Line Editorial 2017-18