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UND So. F., Riese Gaber sneaks the puck by Pio goalie Magnus Chrona in magical fashion on Saturday
leading the Fighting Hawks to a 4-1 win and a huge NCHC series sweep. Photo credit: Russell Hons. |
Coming into this past weekend, DDC said this about the series against Denver:
"These are always fun, but DDC is nervous for this weekend. These nerves come from two things -- DU's 5 goal a game scoring clip and UND's lack of team scoring and cohesion so far this season. The Green and White lack depth scoring and playing against a team like the Pioneers who is scoring in bunches, DDC fears a shootout, run-and-gun type series. .... Containing the top line of Brink, Savoie, and Guttman will obviously be the key. These three men have had a dominant start, so UND must find a way to make other players on the ice score goals against them."
So, depth scoring and containing DU's top line -- check. check.... and sweep.
Led by a terrific collective team defensive effort and by starting netminder Zach Driscoll's best weekend as a Fighting Hawk, UND topped the Pioneers 3-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday for a massive sweep in the Hawks' first National Collegiate Hockey Conference series of the season. The Green and White, tasked with slowing DU's top line of Carter Savoie, Bobby Brink, and Cole Guttman who came into the series with 30 total points in 6 games, shutdown the line for exactly zero points.
Here's how DDC saw it in his weekly Roses and Thorns.
**NOTE** DDC is intentionally avoiding talking about Savoie's hit on UND captain Mark Senden late in Saturday's game because the doctor said he should avoid raising his blood pressure. Gotta watch out for the ticker, eh? If you feel like watching this disgusting performance... check it out, below. DDC is BEGGING these two teams play in the playoffs....
Here's the clip of some scumbaggery... er, uh, sorry... the play in question.
Roses
1) Zach Driscoll
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UND Sr., goaltender
Zach Driscoll |
The Apple Valley, Minn., native came to UND as a goaltender who was a well-known commodity, but has, along with the team, had mixed results this season. With both Adam Scheel (professional contract) and Peter Thome (St. Thomas) leaving in the offseason, the former two-time all-WCHA pick with Bemidji State was tabbed as the Hawks' No. 1 goaltender after a heavy pursuit in the transfer portal. This weekend, the Green and White faithful may have been assured UND made the right move. Driscoll was fantastic against Denver stopping 43 of 45 Pioneer shots, allowing just a single goal in each contest to help pace the sweep. Driscoll made several key saves in both nights, namely in the third period on Friday when the game was still 2-1. Driscoll isn't as large or athletic as some of UND's most recent No. 1 netminders, but his ability to play the puck and his tenacity stand out to DDC. Simply put, Driscoll is a battler. His movement is quick and solid and he always seems to find a way to come out of a scrum in his crease on top of the puck. He was wonderful this weekend and the Hawks are lucky to have him.
2) Overall Defense - Top Line Shutdown
Denver's top line of Carter Savoie, Cole Guttman, and Bobby Brink strolled into The Ralph as one of the hottest lines in college hockey and are leaving with a goose egg. Coming into this weekend's series with a combined 30 points in six games, UND knew these three would be a handful and the Hawks were up to the challenge holding that line to zero -- yes, zero -- points on the weekend. Buoyed by a stifling checking line of Mark Senden, Louis Jamernik, and Gavin Hain, UND was as good as they've been all year with the back check and found ways to keep the puck off of DU's talented top group. One thing that stood out to DDC this weekend was UND's game while playing with the lead. The Green and White are not an explosive scoring team, but as they showed against Quinnipiac several weeks back, when they get out and score first, they have the ability to lock down other teams. Playing a smart, aggressive, and grinding game, UND was able to slow DU's desire to run and gun. It's a simple formula, and as the team continues to build chemistry, this will be their best way to win games.
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Costantini pots his goal on Saturday.
Photo credit: Russell Hons. |
3) Matteo Costantini
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UND Fr., forward
Matteo Costantini |
DDC didn't really know what to expect from the freshman forward as he made his way to North Dakota. Looking at numbers, seeing his fifth-round draft status, and catching a few clips of his game, DDC was hoping Costantini would develop into a solid performer for the Hawks by the time he left campus. With the surprise late departure of Jasper Weatherby to the NHL, Costantini has been thrust into an important role for UND and has really started to show out. The St. Catherine's, Ontario native scored the Hawks' opening goal each night, adding an assist on Saturday for a three-point, +2 weekend. So far this season, he's racked up seven points (3g, 4a) and is a solid +4. His poise on his goal on Saturday night was special. Speeding in on a partial breakaway, Costantini realized he was facing pressure from his left and instead of trying to make a move, fired a quick wrister that beat DU goaltender Magnus Chrona five-hole to the back of the net just 4:13 into the game. Starting off the season as a bottom-six center, Costantini has already found himself in the top six and has certainly cemented a nightly lineup spot. With Connor Ford missing Saturday night's game and being called day-to-day with an injury, Costantini will be essentially be UND's 1 or 1(a) center for the time being and the freshman is stepping up.
Thorns
1) Faceoffs
DDC just mentioned it, but it has become pretty clear what Weatherby's signing meant for UND this year and how big of a loss it really is. The Hawks' lost a great leader, scorer, and defender when he signed his NHL deal with the San Jose Sharks, but losing a No. 1 center on a team also comes with losing the No. 1 faceoff man. Ford has stepped into that top drawman role well for the Green and White thus far, but that's ok as long as he's in the lineup. With Ford out and UND down to two (well, two and a half) regular centermen, the Hawks lost the faceoff battle 32-27, but at one point, were down 12 in that category during a rough second period. A lot of North Dakota's game is built by forecheck and possession and losing faceoffs certainly does not help that type of game. The Hawks can afford to lose a close faceoff game, but players like Costantini and fellow freshman Jake Schmaltz are going to have a lot of pressure on them to win draws, especially with Ford out of the lineup.
2) Zone Exits/Icings
This got much better as the game went along, but it was noticeable for DDC to want to comment as it happened for long stretches in both games. With a tight-checking and speedy team like Denver, UND has always preached chipping up the side boards into neutral to slow a team like that down. However, the Hawks, during a couple of annoying spans of time each night, seemed to panic, not skate to open ice in the defensive zone, and rush a play into an icing or a bad dump. During a three-minute stretch in the second period on Saturday, DDC counted five icings -- five. With the amount of speed and talent UND has on the backend, that can't keep happening. Couple that with the Hawks' lack of as much faceoff prowess as years past, these poor exits and icings could end up hurting them. DDC knows this can and will get fixed.
All-in-all, these two thorns are about the size of Rhode Island to the U.S. when compared to the enormity of this weekend's sweep of DU. Fantastic start to NCHC play.
Thanks for the read and check back later this week as DDC previews UND's trip to Oxford to visit the Miami RedHawks.
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