The last regular season series pits Denver against the Huskies of St. Cloud State. A matchup that has been very even since the series started in 1988. DU is 37-31-4 all-time against SCSU. The Pioneers are 19-19-2 against the Huskies at home, including four straight two-game series splits. Denver is currently 2nd in the WCHA and while they could tie for the league title, the odds are against it as they would have to sweep the Huskies and North Dakota would have to get swept by.. ahem, Michigan Tech. It is much more likely they will end up right where they are now. Considering the 3rd and 4th place teams play each other, they can do no worse than 3rd. SCSU who is currently 8th could finish as high as 5th. Here are some more notes on the series
Jason Zucker was named National Rookie of the Month
Zucker leads the WCHA in scoring (36 points) and is tied for first in goals (20) in 24 league games. He leads WCHA rookies in goals and scoring for league and all games. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound freshman is riding a career best nine-game point streak (4-10-14). He is second among NCAA rookies in points per game (1.19) and tied for second in goals (20).
It appears Captain Kyle Ostrow will be back in action this weekend. Hopefully, he will join the century club at Denver. One thing I do know for sure, his leadership will be a welcome addition heading into playoff season.
Playoff hockey, an exciting time where everything gets a bit more... tense. Goals become more important, as does your goaltending. We have seen strong goaltending carry the Pios to WCHA (15) and NCAA (7) tournament championships. What is in store for this very young Pios team? We will have to wait to find out... but I can tell you the hope and excitement surrounding the playoff season is a time I can't wait for every year.