[gameday game_id=2655]
JD (12:49): Denver is your winner in double overtime. The Pioneers will play Wisconsin Saturday in search of their 11th NCAA championship. Kent Anderson with the game-winner at 12:35
JD (12:45): I have just been informed that the North Dakota team plane has touched down in Grand Forks.
Kidding. I have no idea what the Fighting Hawks’ travel schedule is. But it seems funny to think given how long this game is getting.
JD (12:43): Ed just informed me that the shots are 11-1 in favor of Michigan in the second overtime. Michigan has a 50-25 shot advantage for the game
JD (12:30): Both goalies are playing too well to allow this to end
JD (12:24): Teams back on the ice for overtime No. 2
ET (12:14): Both teams had chances, but DU squandered its power play by taking a penalty of its own. Fatigue is becoming visible as the play gets less crisp. Both goalies seem to have remained sharp, though.
JD (12:09): One overtime is down. Score still 3-3. Second overtime coming up.
JD (12:08): If no one scores, Denver will have a 5-on-4 advantage for about 26 seconds to close out the period
JD (12:06): Denver called for a 2-minute tripping penalty at 18:29. It’ll be 4 on 4 for the next 1:06. Gotta feeling we’re going to second overtime.
ET (12:05): Denver is 0-5 on the power play in this game. If there were a time to wake up its moribund man advantage, this would be it.
JD (12:02): Denver will get a rare overtime power play. Michigan’s Will Horcroff sent off for slashing at 17:34.
CL (12:01 a.m.): Michigan has had the better of play in the overtime, outshooting Denver 7-4 and with a big territorial advantage. Denver came out hot in the opening minutes of OT, but since Michgian coach Brandon Naurato called time out at 1:09, the Wolverines have mostly carried the play.
JD (11:58): Jack Ivankovic has made a pair of acrobatic saves in overtime so far, both with his blocker pad.
JD (11:51): Little bit of minor ice repair going on right now. Nothing wrong with that
ET (11:45): Overtime is always tense and you can feel it in the entire building. Chances have gone both ways but Jack Ivankovic and Johnny Hicks have been terrific.
JD (11:36): Michigan’s Schifsky almost ended it, couldn’t poke in a rebound right in front of the net, save Hicks.
JD (11:29): Teams out on the ice for overtime
ET (11:25): Third period thoughts — The game continued the second period’s heaviness into the middle of the third. Perron’s goal sparked Michigan and it woke up Denver. DU’s incomprehensible goal by Caswell made overtime seem inevitable as neither team had a real scoring chance in the waning seconds of regulation. Final score: 4-3. Winner TBD.
CL (11:23): Third period thoughts — Denver had only three shots in the third, but one found the back of the net with just 2:46 to play. It was an even strength goal with Hicks still in the Denver net.
Buckle up for overtime.
JD (11:14): Overtime in Las Vegas, Denver and Michigan are tied 3-3 in the Frozen Four semifinals.
ET (11:11): Just as we started to speculate when David Carle might pull Hicks for the extra attacker, Clarke Caswell scored a ridiculous goal to tie the game at 3. It looks like Caswell received the puck and with a quick flick of the wrist lifted it home.
JD (11:09): Clarke Caswell redirects a pass right in front of the net and it’s 3-3. Caswell’s eighth of the season at 17:14
JD (11:08): DENVER TIES IT
JD (11:07): Can Michigan do it??? Final media timeout, I expect Hicks will return to the ice since the ensuing faceoff will be just outside Denver’s defensive zone. But look for him to be pulled soon after that.
JD (10:58): Andddddd… it’s Michigan with the first power-play goal of the Frozen Four. Wolverines take 3-2 lead at 11:02, goal by Jayden Perron (Will Horcoff and Malcolm Spence assists)
ET (10:57): Michael Hage’s shot on goal (and save by Hicks) at 10:13 was the first for Michigan in the third period.
JD (10:54): Michigan power play at 10:14 of the third — will this be the first power-play goal of the Frozen Four? Denver’s Eric Jamieson got two minutes for cross-checking. It’s a media timeout
JD (10:49): Make that 0-for-11, aggregate, on the power play tonight in the Frozen Four.
JD (10:48): The bane of every hockey writer’s existence — postseason overtime. Could be over instantly (like Wisconsin’s win over Michigan State in the Worcester Regional final, which took all of 24 seconds) or go all night (like Duluth’s 3-2 win over North Dakota in 2021, which went 5 OTs).
Here’s hoping Denver and/or Michigan settles things in regulation.
ET (10:46): That was a scary moment. For Hicks not only to seem OK but to stay in the game is amazing and a relief.
CL (10:45): Teams are 0-10 so far with the man advantage in the two semifinals. Michigan has yet to have a power play. North Dakota 0-5, Wisconsin 0-2, Denver 0-3.
JD (10:43): Denver will go on the power play — Michigan’s Garrett Schifsky is slapped with a boarding penalty at 5:04.
JD (10:41): Looks like Hicks is staying in to a huge ovation from Pioneers fans. Will this rally Denver? We’ll see…
JD (10:39): Denver goalie Johnny Hicks was inadvertently leveled on a play in front of the net. He was very slow to get up but he did, under his own power. Now being attended to by trainer.
JD (10:35): Denver on the power play just 24 seconds into the third. Michigan’s Tyler Duke sent off for tripping.
JD (10:33): Teams back on the ice for third-period action.
JD (10:26): Second period thoughts — With the game tied 2-2, we’re 20 minutes away from either a) an all-B1G Frozen Four final, which would be the first in history; b) the first Wisconsin-Denver postseason meeting since the third-place game of the WCHA Final Five in 2010 (Wisconsin won that game 6-3 and went on to win the NCAA championship that year); or c) overtime.
ET(10:24): Second period thoughts — Just when we thought the game might turn into a track meet at the end of the first period, things became more clogged in the second. Michigan allowed only five shots on goal and allowed little pressure on its own net, while the Wolverines got through 13 shots on Johnny Hicks. Hicks may be the difference in the game right now. He’s every bit as good as the reputation that preceded him to Vegas.
JD (10:19): We’re through 2 here in Las Vegas and it’s a 2-2 tie between Denver and Michigan. Wolverines have 22-15 shot advantage.
JD (10:12): From the beating-a-dead-horse dept.: Hicks is darn good this period
CL (10:10): Shots so far in this period are 10-5 Michigan, but Denver has the only goal. Hicks making some great saves.
ET(10:07): I know all four teams here this weekend are big-time programs with commensurate cash, but they are really hitting the equipment budget hard with all of the broken sticks.
ET (10:04): I’ve seen lots of video of Johnny Hicks, but seeing the Denver goalie live has impressed me with just how quick and agile he is, and how well he tracks the puck.
CL (9:56): Goal descriptions so far, for your media timeout enjoyment —
Denver opened the scoring at 9:49 of the first. Kyle Chyzowski was able to get a stick on a Michigan clearing attempt. The lose puck was picked up by Brendan McMorrow, who made a quick pass to linemate Kieran Cebrian. Cebrian found Chyzoski, who beat Michigan goalie Jack Ivankovic to make it 1-0 Pioneers.
Michigan answered with two goals in a 59 second span near the end of the period.
Kienan Draper won a draw in the Denver zone, and Josh Eernisse picked up the loose puck and fired it past a partially screened Johnny Hicks to tie the score at 1-1.
Less than a minute later, Denver took the lead on a goal by TJ Hughes, his 21st of the season. Adam Valentini’s shot was high and bounced off the back glass right in front of Hicks. Hughes was in perfect position to make it 2-1.
Denver tied it 2:30 into the second period, just a few seconds after its power play expired. Cale Ashcroft’s shot from the high slot through a crowd tucked just inside the crossbar on Ivankovic’s stick side.
JD (9:44): Denver ties it 2-2 on a goal by Cale Ashcroft (Sam Harris and Clarke Caswell assists) at 2:31 of the second. Ashcroft’s third on the season.
ET (9:41): Denver led in shots on goal 10-4 with 3:54 left in the first period, but the next five shots and both goals belonged to Michigan.
CL (9:40): Michigan got a nice bounce on its second goal. Adam Valentini’s shot when high and hit the back glass, and the bounce came right out in front of Denver goalie Johnny Hicks. TJ Huges was in perfect position to make it 2-1.
JD (9:38): Now that everyone’s caught their breath, the teams are out to start the second in Las Vegas.
JD (9:37): First period thoughts — Well what’dya know? Michigan takes a play from Wisconsin’s book, and that is scoring in quick succession. Just like the Badgers did in Thursday’s Game 1, Michigan got a pair of goals less than a minute apart to take a 2-1 lead over Denver. Josh Eernisse scored at 16:18 and T.J. Hughes put the Wolverines up at 17:17.
ET (9:33): I haven’t had a chance to mention this, but T-Mobile Arena has a great atmosphere. Audio is clean, video boards are bright and high-resolution, the lighting is superb … I could go on. The committee needs to include Vegas in the Frozen Four rotation. Oh, and the weather is perfect.
ET (9:25): First period thoughts — The game can change quickly. Josh Eenisse’s goal from the right faceoff circle through a partial screen by an opponent allowed the Michigan senior to elude Denver goaltender Johnny Hicks. T.J. Hughes scored 59 seconds later when the puck came off the back glass and the top of the net dropping in the crease, where Hughes tapped it in. Great momentum for the Wolverines to carry into the room.
JD (9:23): It’s a flurry of activity for reporters here at the Frozen Four, and that’s what makes it so special and frankly, we at USCHO would have it no other way. The stories from Game 1 are filed, and now we can give our full attention to Game 2 between Denver and Michigan. The Wolverines are ahead 2-1 after the first period.