NCHC Heavyweights Set To Do Battle in Tempe
Sun Devils and Pioneers poised for rematch at Mullett Arena with sights on home ice advantage for NCHC Tournament.
The stars of the NCHC will be out in full force this weekend at Mullett Arena.
That’s what you get when between the Denver and Arizona State rosters, you have the top four and 9 of the top 10 scorers in the conference. Add in three of the top goaltenders in the conference, and this weekend’s series is easily a can’t miss event.
We all know what happened in November up in Denver, but for the sake of my enjoyment, let’s revisit that chain of events. Denver entered the series with the Sun Devils at a 12-0-0 record to start the season and had won 21 consecutive games with their last loss coming on March 8, 2024. They were the undisputed #1 team in the nation, an absolute juggernaut that I thought had a chance to challenge the Maine Black Bears of 1992-93 for the best single season record in NCAA history. The Devils rolled in to Magness at a 4-7-1 record, coming off a split at home against the Omaha Mavericks for their first NCHC win.
The hope was that the Devils could steal a handful of points to tread water in the standings. The result, as we all know, was a series sweep that sent the Devils off and running on a journey to the top of the NCHC standings and a 12-2-0 record starting with that sweep on the road. It’s safe to say that David Carle’s Pioneers will be out for blood this weekend. Despite that series starting a three-game losing streak and producing a 7-6-1 record, Denver is still an incredibly dangerous team. Jack Devine (6 G-29 A-35 P), Aidan Thompson (13 G-19 A-32 P), and Zeev Buium (6 G-23 A-29 P) are the top three in points in the conference. Matt Davis is still a wall in net, with an 18-5-1 record, 1.97GAA and .923 SV% in 24 games, both good for top 5 in the conference. As a team, they boast the top ranked power play in the nation at 32.2%. They are tied with Minnesota for best scoring per game at 4.0 goals per game, and 6th in the nation with 2.0 goals against per game. The games on November 22-23 will serve as chalkboard material for this weekend.
That series was far from a fluke for the Sun Devils. They did not get lucky or catch Denver asleep at the wheel. Arizona State is firmly in the conversation as one of the best statistical teams in the nation. This team ranks 2nd in the nation on the power play right behind Denver at 29.6%. 4th in the nation in goals per game (3.65), and 10th in the nation in goals against per game (2.42). Ryan Kirwan leads the conference with 18 goals, and with 10 assists ranks 4th in the conference with 28 points. Artem Shlaine (10 G-16 A-26 P), Bennett Schimek (9 G-17 A-26 P), Lukas Sillinger (4 G-21 A-25 P), and Noah Beck (4 G-20 A-24 P) all rank in the top 10 in the conference in scoring. Gibson Homer (6-4-1, 2.38 GAA, .920 SV%) and Luke Pavicich (10-5-0, 2.19 GAA, .918 SV%) are easily the second-best goaltending tandem in the conference behind Cameron Rowe and Hampton Slukynsky for Western Michigan.
The biggest key to this weekend for the Devils? Stay out of the penalty box. As mentioned, the Pioneers have the best power play unit in the nation. The Devils are one of the more disciplined teams in the country with only 190 penalty minutes as a team (7th fewest in the nation) but do tend to take sloppy penalties when backed into a corner. If given the opportunity, Denver will punish the Devils for too many trips to the penalty box.
Injury Update
Earlier this week, it was announced that graduate forward Benji Eckerle underwent surgery on the ruptured Achilles that he sustained during off-ice warmups before Friday’s game at Miami, ending his Sun Devil career. He ends the season with a scoring line of 3 G-4 A-7 P, and a career line of 17 G-32 A-49 P. The alternate captain will still have a leadership role for the rest of the season, acting as an “honorary coach” down the stretch.
As for Artem Shlaine, his status remains day-to-day and will likely be a game-time decision on his inclusion for Friday’s lineup. Coach Powers stated that his condition has vastly improved since being taken off the ice on a stretcher early in Saturday’s game, but he will continue to be evaluated. The Devils have embraced the “next man up” mentality all season long, and the final 8 games of the regular season will be business as usual.
Stats and Streaks
· The Sun Devils have scored a power play goal in 10 consecutive games, tallying 15 power play goals in that stretch.
· Ryan Kirwan’s 5-game point streak ended Saturday night at Miami, but he has recorded at least one point in 10 of his last 12 games, the only other game he was kept off the scoresheet being January 11th against North Dakota.
· The Devils are 15-2-0 this season when scoring first.
· 48 of the Devils 95 goals this season came in the month of January, with 4+ goals scored in 8 of 9 games in the month.
· 4 goals is a magic number for the Devils, scoring 4+ in 13 of 26 games this season. The Devils are 12-1-0 when scoring 4+.
If You Go
This highly anticipated series is nearly completely sold out. Just two tickets remain available for Friday night, with Saturday night being completely sold out though the ASU box office. Friday’s game will also feature a pre-game patio party from 5-7pm.
Friday’s game will be a national broadcast starting at 7pm on CBS Sports Network (DirecTV Channel 221, Dish Channel 158). Check your provider and local listings for channel information. Saturday will be a 5pm puck drop, airing in the Phoenix market on Fox 10 Xtra (My45), and streaming on NCHC.tv. Both games can be heard on Fox Sports 910 Phoenix with Tyler Paley and Alex Coil on the call.
This season has been test after test for the Sun Devils, and so far they have met each challenge in stride. The race for the Penrose Cup is full speed ahead, and this is the time to ensure that the road to St. Paul will pass through Mullett Arena in March. As always, Forks Up and Be The Tradition!
