I guess the rankings people have it right – the No. 5 Pioneers and the No. 4 Eagles really are that close. After DU tied the score at 3 on Will Butcher‘s power-play goal with just under 4 minutes to play, BC won it on a goal with 36 seconds to play. As tough as the loss is to swallow after DU twice rallied to tie the score, coach Jim Montgomery said there were “more positives than negatives” to take from 4-3 defeat. Here are a few takeaways:

The Dynamic Duo returns: Danton Heinen shifted to center and played with Trevor Moore and freshman Dylan Gambrell. The result? Eight points between the trio, including two goals and an assist by Heinen, who was playing in the city whose NHL team drafted him. “Heinen and Moore were all over the place,” Montgomery said told AM 1600’s Jay Stickney after the game. “And they were good in the defensive zone.”

The Power Play returns: DU struck twice with the man-advantage, both times tying the score — in the second period by Heinen and the third by Butcher. The two goals doubled the previous season output. No systemic or personnel changes but, as Montgomery called it, “an attack attitude”.

The Defense didn’t rest: Montgomery was complementary of the Pioneers’ defense, particularly Tariq Hammond (“He took a big step in his career,” the coach said) and freshman Blake Hillman. Hammond and Nolan Zajac frequently were matched against BC’s behemoth line of Alex Tuch (6-4, 220), Zach Sanford (6-4, 191) and Adam Gilmour (6-3, 193).

By the numbers: Goalie Evan Cowley made 30 saves on 34 shots, but two goals came on odd-man rushes. … DU managed 24 shots and ended BC goalie Thatcher Demko‘s three-plus game shutout streak 9:04 in on Heinen’s first goal.

@MagnessMayhem