This weekend’s two-game series at Magness Arena is the only one scheduled between the University of Denver and Michigan Tech this season.
But if the Pioneers get what they want, the Huskies (5-22-1) will return in a month and play DU in a No. 1 vs. No. 10 Western Collegiate Hockey Association first-round, best-of-three playoff series.
With three weekends and six regular-season games remaining — including the much anticipated home-and-away capper March 5-6 with Colorado College — league-leading DU is the favorite to win the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champion, and Michigan Tech appears destined to finish last.
The Pioneers (20-6-4, 14-4-4) bring a six-game winning streak into tonight’s game. The Huskies have won just twice in their past 19 games.
“Everybody is aware of the things that could be available to us down the road, but we don’t talk about it,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “We’re only talking about what we need to (tonight) against Michigan Tech. We’re very aware they aren’t having the type of season they expected, but nonetheless, they’ve been playing pretty darn well recently and we can’t look past them.”
Next weekend, DU travels to Minnesota State, the WCHA ninth-place team, for a two-game set, and then finishes against fifth-place CC with at least one trophy on the line.
Two years ago, the Tigers clinched the MacNaughton Cup and Gold Pan against the Pioneers in the final week. This year, DU is in position to return the favor.
The Pioneers are 1-0-1 against CC in the four-game Gold Pan series. DU will reclaim the Gold Pan with a win or two ties.
“There’s no question, we’d like to do what they did to us,” DU senior center Tyler Ruegsegger said of the Tigers. “It might come down to that, but we need to first come through with a couple good weekends.”
The Pioneers are looking for their 12th WCHA regular-season title, and first since 2005. They lead St. Cloud State by just one point and are three points ahead of Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth. Among the four teams in contention, the Pioneers have the most favorable schedule.
St. Cloud visits Wisconsin this weekend, and Duluth travels to sixth-place North Dakota. St. Cloud State is idle next weekend before finishing with a home-and-home against Minnesota State.
Wisconsin ends with road trips at Michigan Tech and Minnesota. Duluth hosts Minnesota next weekend before traveling to Alaska-Anchorage.
“We’re all excited about what’s coming up and there’s a lot of enthusiasm in the locker room, but obviously we’re only focused on this weekend,” DU senior and captain Rhett Rakh-shani said. “In a couple weekends, there’s something fun we’re all going to be looking forward to, but we’re not there yet.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
