(Photo: Janes Reyes/ WCSN)
TEMPE – After looking like a sunken ship Friday night in a 7-1 loss, Arizona State needed to find a way to right itself. The Sun Devils were coming off their worst loss of the season, and No. 3 Denver looked unbeatable in recent weeks.
However, it turns out that ASU (5-8-1, 3-4-1 NCHC) could get past the seemingly indestructible Denver Pioneers (9-4-1, 5-1-0 NCHC). The Sun Devils upset the third-ranked Pioneers 3-2 in overtime, marking the third straight season that ASU has beaten Denver in overtime at home.
“We needed that one. We felt we played a really good game last night,” senior forward Kyle Smolen said. “The biggest thing was to not look at the score result from last night, but take a lot of the positives out of that and try to translate it into tonight. I think we did a good job of that.”
In Saturday’s game, the Sun Devils found themselves in a situation they know all too well. ASU entered the second period with a two-goal cushion, similar to games such as its first game against Augustana or the series finale against Penn State. Just like those games, constant pressure by the Pioneers, and a few lucky bounces, saw the game tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. However, unlike some of their losses this season, the Sun Devils fought through the pressure to get themselves to overtime.
“The third period was a really good sign that this team is starting to get how to manage games and close games out against arguably the best team in the country,” head coach Greg Powers said.
Heading into the overtime period, the question for ASU was whether anyone could step up and deliver that one moment necessary to win. That question is answered a lot easier when it has a first-round NHL draft pick on its team.
Sophomore forward Cullen Potter started the season off slowly, with only nine points, including just two goals. His start has not met the preseason expectations, especially for such a high prospect. In spite of that, when the Sun Devils needed it most, Potter delivered. With just under half a minute remaining in overtime, Potter picked up the puck from center ice and took it himself to score the game-winner, sending Mullett Arena into an explosion of noise.
“I’m just really happy for him because that’s the biggest goal he’s scored for us. It just hasn’t been going in.” Powers said, “Man, he was flying, and he just buried that thing. I think that’s a big monkey off his back.”
Like any sunken vessel, ASU needed someone who could fix the wreck, someone who could bring the team back above water. Fortunately for the Sun Devils, all they had to do was look behind them to find that person.
After giving up seven goals the previous night, Powers turned to senior Connor Hasley to hold down the fort in net for ASU. Powers said that he needed better from his goaltenders after Friday’s loss, which is exactly what he got.
Hasley shaved off 42 shots of the 44 attempted, including three massive saves in overtime to keep the game going. All night long, Denver was aggressive in getting pucks to the net and having bodies in front, making Hasley’s job difficult. But the senior goalie rose to the occasion and delivered one of his best performances of the season to help the Sun Devils past the Pioneers.
“He was great,” Powers said. “I mean, he made those two huge saves in overtime, which gave us a fighting chance to win.”
Hasley also carried another major leg of ASU’s win on Saturday. Special teams have been up and down all season long for ASU. However, Saturday was a huge step in the right direction for the Sun Devils. ASU’s penalty kill went 4/4, including an extended five-on-three power-play for Denver. The amount of time being a man down in the second frame for the Sun Devils led to 20 shots for Denver, but Halsey delivered to help the penalty kill units not concede a goal.
“The kill was as good as it gets,” Powers said. “Hasley was really good. You need your goalie to be your best penalty killer, and he was. But the guys on the kill got the job done with all the power plays it seemed like they had.”
After the disastrous loss on Friday, Powers decided to make many changes to the Sun Devil lineup, moving freshman Jack Beck up to the first line to join veteran forwards Sean McGurn and Cruz Lucius. The major change Powers made was moving Smolen down to the fourth line with freshman forwards Carmelo Crandell and Ben Kevan.
Smolen provided the youngsters with some much-needed experience. The changes to that fourth line made an instant impact, as they picked up the Sun Devils’ first goal of the game, after a rush of speed, and a good forecheck found Crandell with a wide-open net. Smolen proved once again why he is the ASU captain, assisting on all three goals scored on the night. Furthermore, the freshmen benefited from Smolen’s experience, as it allowed them to be freer and faster, which is where the youngsters have thrived this season.
“[The fourth line] was awesome,” Power said. “They got a ton of speed, a ton of energy, and scored a huge first goal. That’s what I think our fans can expect out of them. Those two freshmen are so talented. They’ve gone through some growing pains over the first third of the season with understanding what it takes to play winning hockey at this level.”
Moving forward, ASU hopes to keep its “ship” afloat. To do so, Greg Powers’ men will need to put together complete team performances like Saturday. The Sun Devils will have the opportunity to keep the momentum going next weekend, as the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Tempe in a highly anticipated matchup that could have real NCAA tournament implications.
“We’ve got to be excited about winning that game in that moment,” Potter said. “It was a big moment, but now, how can we take that and move forward and not go back down? How do we go up from here?”
