ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Special teams were the difference in the first game of a series between the top two teams in the NCHC.
St. Cloud State was 3-for-5 on the power play and killed a 5-on-3 short-handed situation in the second period on its way to a 7-3 win over Denver on Friday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
With the win, the Huskies (9-4 NCHC, 17-6 overall) move within three points of first-place Denver (10-3, 19-6). The two teams play again at 6 p.m. Saturday (FOX 9+) at the Brooks Center.
"I love beating those guys and with what's on the line, it feels even better," SCSU senior center Jami Krannila said.
The turning point in the game came in the second period. The Huskies led 3-2 and had to kill a 1 minute, 44-second 5-on-3 power play for the Pioneers and they did. Then Grant Cruikshank came out of the penalty box and led a 3-on-2 break into the Denver zone. Cruikshank got it to Krannila, who scored at 12:46 to make it 4-2 and it ended up being the game-winner.
"Those are the moments that change a game," SCSU head coach Brett Larson said. "If they score there, it could be a different game. We were able to kill it off and the penalty kill came up big.
"Our top guys played like our top guys tonight. There's no way you beat a team like that when your top guys aren't playing like that. When Jami got that goal after we killed that 5-on-3, this place went nuts."
St. Cloud State went into the game 0-for-15 on the power play in their last five games. The Huskies made Denver pay with the man advantage, getting power-play goals from senior Zach Okabe, junior Veeti Miettinen and Cruikshank.
1/32: St. Cloud State forward Joe Molenaar (22) is chased by Denver defenseman Mike Benning (20) as he works the puck toward the goal in the third period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
2/32: St. Cloud State forward Micah Miller (15) skates into the goal chased by Denver defenseman Shai Buium (8) in the third period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
3/32: St. Cloud State forward Jack Rogers (20) puts the puck over Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona (30) to score in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
4/32: St. Cloud State forward Jami Krannila (13) fires the puck past Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona (30) to score in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
5/32: Denver Head Coach David Carle talks with players during a break against St. Cloud State in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
6/32: St. Cloud State defenseman Ondrej Trejbal (5) tries to steal the puck from Denver defenseman Mike Benning (20) in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
7/32: St. Cloud State goaltender Dominic Basse (31) can’t stop a Denver goal in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
8/32: Denver Head Coach David Carle watches the action against St. Cloud State in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
9/32: Denver forward Massimo Rizzo (13) carries the puck against St. Cloud State in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
10/32: Denver forward Carter King (15) tries to steal the puck from St. Cloud State forward Grant Cruikshank (19) in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
11/32: Denver defenseman Kyle Mayhew (27) passes the puck against St. Cloud State in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
12/32: Denver Head Coach David Carle tries to get a ruling from the referees against St. Cloud State in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
13/32: St. Cloud State forward Kyler Kupka (10) skates with the puck against Denver in the second period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
14/32: Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona (30) deflects a shot by St. Cloud State forward Micah Miller (15) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
15/32: Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona (30) blocks a shot by St. Cloud State forward Grant Cruikshank (19) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
16/32: Denver forward Casey Dornbach (17) and St. Cloud State forward Jack Rogers (20) battle for the puck in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
17/32: St. Cloud State defenseman Brendan Bushy (18) skates the puck past Denver forward Aidan Thompson (7) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
18/32: St. Cloud State forward Zach Okabe (14) scores on Denver goaltender Magnus Chrona (30) with teammate St. Cloud State forward Mason Salquist (16) joining the celebration in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
19/32: St. Cloud State forward Kyler Kupka (10) carries the puck against Denver in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
20/32: St. Cloud State goaltender Dominic Basse (31) deflects a shot by Denver forward Brett Edwards (28) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
21/32: St. Cloud State defenseman Jack Peart (23) tries to steal the puck from Denver defenseman Sean Behrens (2) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
22/32: St. Cloud State defenseman Josh Luedtke (21) is checked into the boards by Denver defenseman Kyle Mayhew (27) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
23/32: St. Cloud State goaltender Dominic Basse (31) can’t stop shot by Denver forward Carter King (15) as he scores in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
24/32: Denver forward Carter King (15) celebrates his goal with teammates in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
25/32: Denver forward Massimo Rizzo (13) tries to steal the puck from St. Cloud State forward Aidan Spellacy (8) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
26/32: St. Cloud State forward Micah Miller (15) takes the puck past Denver forward Carter Mazur (34) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
27/32: St. Cloud State goaltender Dominic Basse (31) watches the puck against Denver in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
28/32: St. Cloud State forward Zach Okabe (14) sends the puck past Denver forward McKade Webster (6) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
29/32: St. Cloud State forward Aidan Spellacy (8) skates the puck past Denver forward Tristan Broz (16) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
30/32: St. Cloud State forward Mason Salquist (16) moves the puck against Denver in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
31/32: St. Cloud State forward Mason Salquist (16) tries to block a pass by Denver forward McKade Webster (6) in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
32/32: St. Cloud State forward Mason Salquist (16) skates with the puck against Denver in the first period Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.
Another key was a couple big saves by SCSU junior goalie Dominic Basse near the end of the second period. With the Huskies on the power play, Basse had to stop two breakaway attempts to help the Huskies hold onto a 5-3 lead going into the third period.
The game was tied 1-1 before a wild second period in which, there were six goals scored.
Basse made his first start of the season in the first game of a series. Basse, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, was coming off a 27-save shutout in his last start against Colorado College. Basse made 28 saves against Denver to pick up his ninth win of the season.
SCSU's three nominees for the Hobey Baker Award all had good nights. Cruikshank, a graduate student from Delafield, Wis., had a goal and an assist and was 12-9 on faceoffs. Jami Krannila, a senior center from Finland, had two goals, a team-leading five shots on goal and was a plus-3. Dylan Anhorn, a senior defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, had two assists.
The Huskies, though, seemed the most excited about the last goal of the game. Mason Salquist, a sophomore center from Grand Forks, N.D., scored an empty-net goal at 19:14 of the third period. It was the first point of the season for Salquist, who was playing in his 22nd game of the season.
After Salquist scored, he was surrounded in a group hug by his teammates on the bench.
"That was awesome," Krannila said. "Everyone just went nuts on the bench. Everyone feels happy for him. That's probably a big weight off his shoulder with scoring. I'm happy for him."
Okabe, a senior wing from Okotoks, had a goal and an assist and Josh Luedtke, a sophomore defenseman from Minnetonka, added two assists for the Huskies.
No. 4 SCSU 7, No. 3 DENVER 3
Denver 1-2-0—3
SCSU 1-4-2—7
First period scoring — 1. SCSU, Zach Okabe 14 (Spencer Meier 4, Jack Peart 14) 6:35 (pp); 2. D, Carter King 9 (Casey Dornbach 16, Shai Buium 12) 10:34 (pp). Penalties — D, Justin Lee (tripping) 6:03; SCSU, Josh Luedtke (kneeing) 8:42.
Second period scoring — 3. D, Jack Devine 5 (Aidan Thompson 12, Sean Behrens 12) 2:06; 4. SCSU, Jami Krannila 12 (Okabe 12, Ondrej Trejbal 6) 6:32; 5. SCSU, Jack Rogers 2 (Aidan Spellacy 1, Brendan Bushy 6) 9:47; 6. Krannila 13 (Grant Cruikshank 10) 12:46; 7. D, Brett Edwards 1 (Mike Benning 16, Connor Caponi 4) 13:31; 8. SCSU, Veeti Miettinen 6 (Dylan Anhorn 19, Adam Ingram 9) 16:23 (pp). Penalties — SCSU, Bench (too many players) 10:16; SCSU, Cruikshank (high-sticking) 10:32; D, Benning (hooking) 15:47; D, Devine (roughing) 17:48.
Third period — 9. SCSU, Cruikshank 16 (Anhorn 20) 11:56 (pp); 10. SCSU, Mason Salquist 1 (unassisted) 19:14 (en). Penalties — D, Sean Behrens (tripping) 10:07; D, King (tripping) 15:36; D, Rieger Lorenz (slashing) 18:51; SCSU, Anhorn (roughing) 18:51.
Goalie saves — D: Magnus Chrona 9-10-5—24 (6 GA), Matt Davis (in at 13:54 of third period) x-x-2—2 (0 GA); SCSU: Dominic Basse 9-12-7—28 (3 GA).
Penalties-minutes — D 6-12; SCSU 4-8.
Power plays — D 1-3; SCSU 3-5.
Faceoffs — SCSU 44-22.
Referees — Joe Sullivan, Andrew Wilk
Linesmen — Elliott Bucholz, Andy Dokken
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