At least it ended before the clocks sprang forward.
After beating Nebraska Omaha 4-3 in double overtime Saturday night to close out a National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinal series in two games, the Denver Pioneers are moving on to face St. Cloud State in a Friday semifinal at the league’s Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis.
Winger Colin Staub scored the series-ending goal at 8:54 of the second overtime in the longest game in the history of Magness Arena, and the Pioneers escaped with a sweep. Tanner Jaillet made 51 saves in the DU net.
“This is the most fun hockey players can do, playing in overtime in a playoff,” said Staub, a freshman from Colorado Springs. “So we were just enjoying the moment, getting ready to go with each overtime.”
DU coach Jim Montgomery noted that under the current rules, the only time a game at Magness Arena can go to marathon overtime is the quarterfinal series of the league tournament. But the previous longest game in the building was DU’s 3-2 victory over Providence on Oct. 16, 1999. Joe Ritson scored to end that at 4:25 of the second overtime.
When Montgomery, a journeyman in the American Hockey League and NHL, was asked if he was involved in any marathon playoff games during his career, he brought up playing for the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League against the Saint John Flames.
“Oh, man, we went back to back in the Calder Cup Finals when we won in Philadelphia in ’98,” he said.
The Phantoms won Game 1 in double overtime 3-2, and dropped Game 2 in one overtime by the same score.
“I remember in Game 2, I had a tough time lifting my stick,” Montgomery said.
The Phantoms won that series and the AHL title in six games.
The Pioneers, of course, will have a chance to win a league postseason championship trophy over the weekend in Minneapolis.
Looking ahead to St. Cloud State, Staub said, “They embarrassed us the last time we played them. We have to keep that in the back of our minds. They’re in our way, so we have to do what we can to get rid of them.”
St. Cloud State beat the Pioneers 5-2 and 6-2 in Denver in mid-December at the low point of the young Pioneers’ season. DU, seeded third in the league postseason, is now 22-8-5 and has an 11-game winning streak heading into the semifinal against the Huskies.
“I know what the game plan is already,” Montgomery said. “You have to stay out of the box and can’t give them odd-man rushes. Besides that, the technical stuff, the X’s and O’s, this is going to be about who wins the one-on-one battles.
“This time of year, your team is what you are and the same thing with them.”
A loss to second-seeded St. Cloud State or in the championship game to the winner of the No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 Minnesota Duluth semifinal won’t cost the Pioneers a berth in the 16-team NCAA Tournament. The selection show is Sunday and the four regional sites are Cincinnati and Worcester, Mass. (March 25-26); and Albany, N.Y., and St. Paul, Minn. (March 26-27).
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or @TFrei
