Las Vegas — For the 10th time since its 1998 championship, Michigan is leaving the Frozen Four earlier than it wanted to. And Thursday’s loss is one that’s going to sting a while.
Despite outshooting Denver 52-26, going perfect on special teams and leading with three minutes to play in regulation, Michigan is still leaving Las Vegas empty-handed. Denver captain Kent Anderson snatched a spot in Saturday’s championship game with the overtime winner with 7:25 left to play in double overtime to down the Wolverines, 4-3, in the 2026 Frozen Four in front of 17,942 fans Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
Denver (28-11-3) will play Wisconsin (24-12-2) for the national championship Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. It will be Wisconsin’s first appearance in the title game since 2010, and Denver’s shot at a third title since 2022.
Michigan (31-8-1), despite playing a strong game, lost in its fifth straight semifinal game dating back to 2011’s runner-up finish to Minnesota-Duluth. In 10 Frozen Four appearances since winning the 1998 national championship, this was Michigan’s fifth overtime loss.
“We outshot them 43 to 16 in the last four periods. I thought we were outstanding,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “We fought the whole time. In hockey and in life, sometimes you do it the right way and you just don’t get the bounces. I think that’s real adversity. Then you just keep getting back up. It’s how you respond.”
For Michigan, forwards Jayden Perron, Josh Eernisse and T.J. Hughes scored in regulation.
Michigan goaltender Jack Ivankovic made 22 saves on 26 shots. Denver goaltender Johnny Hicks, who has yet to lose in 16 starts dating back to late January, stopped 49 out of 52 shots he faced.
“This is probably one of the hardest losses I’ve had to deal with so far,” Ivankovic told The Detroit News.
Michigan led 3-2 with 2:46 to play when Denver forward Clarke Caswell tied the game on a redirect in front of Ivankovic, forcing two overtime periods in which the Wolverines got the better chances. But it was Kent Anderson, who’d scored a single goal all season entering Thursday’s game, who looked more like Clark Kent. His blast from Ivankovic’s left side — off a slick feed from former Michigan commit Kristian Epperson — won the game. As Michigan players knelt through a mandatory review, they knew. Their dreams had broken in Vegas.
“I don’t score many goals,” a joyous Anderson said on the podium afterward. “So this is ranking up top so far. It means everything to play in this national championship game.”
The real hero for Denver — maybe bandit, as he stole would-be goals off the scoresheet — was Hicks, who made save after save in clutch situations.
“Obviously was our best player tonight, very unfazed by the moment,” Denver coach David Carle said. “(He) made a lot of great saves. Made the saves you’re supposed to. Made a lot that he wasn’t supposed to.”
BOX SCORE: Denver 4, Michigan 3 (2OT)
Michigan took a 3-2 lead with 8:58 to play, off the stick of Perron when he fired from the point on a 1-3-1 power play and his shot honed through the screen of teammate Malcolm Spence. That was Michigan’s second lead of the game, after its captain Hughes had taken a 2-1 lead into the first intermission banking a rebound past Hicks with 2:43 left in the opening frame.
Perron’s goal made the power play 1-for-2, though the second was the leftover change of 4-on-4 hockey that bridged the overtime periods. That third period power play was the only full one that Michigan — whose 31.6% power play leads the nation — got in a game 92:35 long. In its last game against Denver at the 2022 Frozen Four in Boston, Michigan played the whole 74:53 without a power play.
Michigan’s penalty kill went 5-for-5, including two kills in the third period. Defenseman Tyler Duke took three of those penalties, two in the first minutes of the second and third periods.
Those didn’t burn Michigan. What did was its inability to crack Hicks. But to feel like it played the better game is a step forward for Michigan after three previous Frozen Four losses dating back to 2022 in which the Wolverines were outplayed. Against a Denver team playing for its third title since then Saturday against Wisconsin, Michigan’s loss came down to one play that will provide plenty of offseason fuel for young returners.
“How they respond this summer and going into next year, I know it’s a lot of pain right now, but I couldn’t be more proud,” Naurato said. “It didn’t feel like this in some of the past losses. I felt like we deserved it. Like I said, it doesn’t always happen in life, so we’ll be better for it.”
Denver took a 1-0 lead 9:29 into the game off a lightning fast sequence. After Ivankovic settled a dump-in behind his own net and shoveled it to defenseman Luca Fantilli, Fantilli tried to feather a pass up ice to Hughes, but Denver forward Kyle Chyzowski got a stick in the lane to disrupt the play. Like a bad spin of the roulette wheel, in an instant the play went sideways. With two quick passes from linemate Kieran Cebrian and Brendan McMorrow, the latter found Chyzowski for a one-timer that trickled through Ivankovic’s pads.
The clock ticked down to 3:42 before Michigan found its opening answer, but it took just a minute more to take the lead. Josh Eernisse tied the game at 3:42 off a faceoff, digging out a puck tied up by center Kienan Draper before his blast of a shot beat Hicks. Then a minute later, a rebound off a shot by Michigan freshman Adam Valentini fluttered down to Hicks’ glove side, and Hughes scored it for a 2-1 lead that stuck up to the first intermission.
Despite a Duke penalty 19 seconds into the second period, Michigan held onto a 2-1 lead as its penalty kill allowed only one shot. It took only 11 seconds after that successful kill before Denver tied the game 2:30 into the second off a point blast from defenseman Cale Ashcroft that beat Ivankovic blocker side.
cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Denver knocks Michigan out of Frozen Four in double overtime
Reporting by Connor Earegood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
