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DENVER — After Friday’s 5-3 loss to No. 5 Miami, Denver coach Jim Montgomery talked about how special teams were the difference, as Miami got two power-play goals and No. 7 Denver couldn’t capitalize on any of its three power plays. He also talked about how he needed to prepare his team better.
Mission accomplished. Denver got two power-play goals, and another that came as a penalty expired, to defeat Miami, 6-2, and move back into a home-ice spot in the brutally competitive NCHC. The Pioneers kept pace with Omaha, and moved one point ahead of Minnesota-Duluth for the final home-ice spot with one weekend of play left.
Denver was paced by its top line, as Trevor Moore had a goal and three assists and Danton Heinen had two goals and two assists.
“We have really good hockey players, and they made great plays tonight,” said Denver coach Jim Montgomery. “That’s as simple as that. We tell them what we might see available, and I don’t think it’s really what we talked about that was available; it was more the purpose and pace they played with.”
After killing off an early Miami power play, Denver capitalized on its first power-play chance when Moore fed a pass to Joey LaLeggia on the right point, and LaLeggia one-timed it on net and Heinen deflected it past Jay Williams at 6:08.
“I thought we moved the puck a lot and we made a few adjustments,” said Moore. “They were coming three high, so we moved it down low and spread them out and capitalized on a couple.”
Before the goal was even finished being announced on the PA, Denver struck again, as Josiah Didier carried it in on the right side and fired a slap shot that Williams stopped with his right pad. However, the rebound came out to a streaking Larkin Jacobson on the left side, who fired it on net and barely beat Williams, who did get part of his body on the puck, but not enough, as it trickled in at 6:31.
“I think our seniors had a purpose tonight, and I think they led the group,” said Montgomery. “It was a lot of emotion from us, and when we play with emotion and we execute, we’re a really good hockey team.”
Moments after Zac Larraza’s tip hit the post, Denver made it 3-0 when Moore somehow got open on the back door and Heinen sent him a perfect pass that Moore redirected in at 12:18.
“They’re on another level; it’s like they know where each other is without looking,” said Montgomery of his top line. “Some of the plays, like that pass Danton made to Trevor, it’s like Trevor knew it was there and put it in with one hand. They’re making it look easy, and it’s not easy in the NCHC.”
Just like with the first goal, the goal was still being announced on the PA when the buzzing Pioneers struck again, as Ty Loney picked up a rebound of a Will Butcher shot and stepped to his left, beating Williams with a backhander at 12:57.
“They outplayed us in every aspect of the game,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi. “Give them credit; they came out on Senior Night with passion and a lot of emotion and made some really nice plays in the first period. We tried to answer in the second, and their power play took over in the third.”
That was all on the night for Williams, who was replaced by Ryan McKay.
“He made some big saves, and it’s nice to see him start to come on,” said Blasi of McKay.
In the second period, Miami began chipping away at the deficit. First, on a five-on-three power play, Riley Barber continued to bedevil the Pioneers, scoring on a quick one-timer from the left corner off a pass from Austin Cannikin at 9:42.
Then at 14:00 of the second, Denver made a terrible defensive play and allowed Alex Wideman to get the puck behind the goal line and skate out in front of the net untouched, where he quickly beat Evan Cowley low.
“That line at times did some good things tonight,” said Blasi. “We had our chances. Their goaltender played well, but they had better jump, a little bit more passion, a little bit more energy, but that’s our league.”
Denver started the third period on a power play, and while the penalty expired, Miami wasn’t able to get Alex Gacek back in the play before LaLeggia beat McKay with a quick snap shot inside the post from the left point at 39 seconds of the third.
“It’s tough sometimes to stay focused when you’re up 4-0 like that, but we just figured it out,” said Moore. “We said, ‘Our seniors need this win, it’s their last home game possibly if we don’t get home ice,’ so we wanted to get it for them.”
Denver re-established a four-goal lead on a power play when Moore carried the puck behind the net and circled around, passing it to Heinen in the slot. Heinen beat McKay with a quick wrist shot at 6:26.
“Their top line was lights out,” said Blasi. “They’re as good a line as there is in college hockey, and you can’t give them too much space or they’ll make you pay.”
Denver is in fourth place for the final home-ice spot in the NCHC, one point behind Omaha and one ahead of Minnesota-Duluth. Next weekend, the Pioneers play St. Cloud on the road. Denver swept the Huskies in January at home.
“We’re thinking about St. Cloud, and if we have success we’ll have home ice,” said Moore. “They’re a tough team. We have to play the way we played tonight and we’ll be fine.”
