With eight games to go in the regular season, UMD’s home ice hopes are perilous but not dead by any stretch.
But at some point, the Bulldogs have to be more than close.
UMD has played in 27 games this season. Not counting any of the ten overtime games, that leaves us at 17. Of those 17 games that ended in regulation, either UMD or its adversary has played with an empty net late in 12 of those games. UMD is 3-9.
My point? They’re in pretty much every game. Even that 5-1 loss in Omaha on Feb. 2, a game that was 3-1 in the final minutes before an empty net goal and an ugly sequence that followed that to add to the margin. Even a 5-2 loss at Western Michigan on Jan. 20 that was tied with three minutes and change to go in regulation.
Yes, a loss is a loss, but one of the major issues for this UMD team is its inability to turn being “right there” in games into wins or points. The fact that so many tight games late have been regulation losses is why this Bulldog team sits in seventh place in the NCHC.
This is a pretty good team that plays its bag off every night, despite a lot of personnel issues beyond the players’ control. If it can take some steps down the stretch, it can be a threat to do damage.
That starts here against a Denver team that sits in fifth in the NCHC standings, something that head coach David Carle pointed out this week is uncharacteristic for this program. The Pioneers, like the Bulldogs, are determined to find a way to be at home for round one in four weeks’ time. Pretty good chance at least one of these teams will be disappointed as it tries to reach that goal.
Denver is dangerous. UMD’s defensive connectivity will be tested all weekend, as will its puck management under some serious pressure all over the ice.
UMD goes with 13 forwards for the series opener, with defenseman Riley Bodnarchuk scratched. Massimo Rizzo is out for Denver.
Zach Stejskal vs Paxton Geisel.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Olson – Loheit – Steeves
McMenamin – Perkins – Biondi
Menghini – Smith – Bettens
Johnson – Fischer – Loney
Kleven
UMD defense
Pionk – Gotz
Gallatin – Dubinsky
Bast – Pierce
UMD goalies
Stejskal – Thiessen – Sandy
Denver forwards
Webster – Broz – Devine
Lorenz – Thompson – Wright
Harris – King – Matikka
Weiermair – Cebrian – Caponi
Lemyre
Denver defense
Behrens – Buium (Zeev)
Buckberger – Buium (Shai)
Ashcroft – Anderson
Denver goalies
Geisel – Davis
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