Denver rallies for 4 goals in 3rd to slip past Minnesota Duluth

BOSTON – With an empty net and not a defender in sight, Connor James had a chance for his first goal in five weeks. But he passed the puck to Greg Keith, who’s gone almost as long without scoring – without the handy excuse of a broken leg.

“That’s what this team’s like,” Denver’s James said. “We don’t have the one big gunner. We have 27 guys who go out and do it for each other.”

Denver pulled together and pushed past Minnesota Duluth with four consecutive goals, beating the Bulldogs 5-3 at the Frozen Four on Thursday and advancing to college hockey’s championship game. The Pioneers (26-12-5) will play for their first title since 1969 on Saturday against Maine, which beat Boston College 2-1.

Lukas Dora scored with 11:35 left to give Denver a 4-3 lead, and Keith added the clincher with 7.8 seconds to play. Adam Berkhoel stopped 26 shots – none bigger than when he turned Hobey Baker finalist Junior Lessard away in the final minute of the second period.

“He’s the reason we’re here,” James said, referring to his goalie. “That, and some pretty lucky bounces. The best team doesn’t always win, and we’re proving that.”

Denver’s second leading scorer, James broke his right leg in the regular-season finale March 5 and thought his season was over. It would have been if his teammates hadn’t extended the season until the final weekend.

Denver coach George Gwozdecky thought the final goal was James’ way of saying “Thanks.”

“A very classy play,” Gwozdecky said. “A terrific message to his teammates by one of our leaders, and one of our best players.”

Denver trailed 2-0 and 3-1 before Gabe Gauthier and Ryan Caldwell scored 34 seconds apart to tie it just 3:04 into the third period. Five minutes later, Dora skated across the ice and fought off a defender to slip the puck between Isaac Reichmuth’s pads.

Lessard scored two power-play goals, and Reichmuth made 25 saves for Duluth (28-13-4). He was pulled for the last 1:17; Duluth knocked one in with 32.2 seconds left, but the goal was disallowed because Tyler Brosz was in the crease before he barreled into the goaltender and dislodged the puck.

Denver beat its Western Collegiate Hockey Association foe for the first time in three tries this season.

The leading scorer in the nation with 32 goals and 63 points, Lessard is the only one of the finalists for the award given to college hockey’s top player whose team reached the Frozen Four. The winner will be announced Friday.

Lessard opened the scoring 1:09 into the game when he took a pass from behind the net and – with one skate on the goal line – two-handed the puck into the upper corner. Brosz made it 2-0 just 3:25 later when he wristed a pass under the leg of a defender, off the post and into the net.

Denver didn’t muster much offense until Luke Fulgham poked a rebound through Reichmuth’s pads with 8:20 left in the second period to make it 2-1.

But Lessard made it a two-goal game again after Tim Stapleton stole the puck at center ice and fed it to Brian Schwabe. He brought it down the left side before sending it across the ice to Lessard, who beat Berkhoel with 4:25 left in the second period.

Then Denver came back.