No. 1 Denver (4-0-2) at Western Michigan (3-3-1)

Friday and Saturday at 5:05 p.m. MT from Kalamazoo, Mich.

TV / radio: NCHC.tv (subscription) / AM 1600

Series: Denver leads 14-5-1

Last season: Denver won three of four but split at WMU, getting shut out on Friday (3-0) before bouncing back with one of their better games (7-2 win). Both games at Magness Arena were close (3-1, 4-2).

Overview

The Pioneers hit the road for the third time in four weekends to open NCHC play, and Western Michigan will provide another good test for them because the Broncos enjoy a strong home-ice advantage (all three of their wins this fall are at Lawson Arena). DU has demonstrated it can take early leads and pull out late victories on the road vs. ranked teams, and it probably will need to do both this weekend if it wants a sweep. The Broncos both take and draw quite a few penalties, so special teams are of paramount importance. The Pioneers’ power play is hitting above 30 percent, and at times it has looked like the Harlem Globetrotters – moving the puck freely until it finds a shooting lane it likes. The penalty kill is hovering around 70 percent, a number that will need to improve in conference play, especially with St. Cloud State and North Dakota on deck.

Denver update

Statistically, Denver has been dominant thus far – scoring five goals per game and allowing two. The Pioneers average more than 42 shots per game and can generate offense from all sorts of sources beyond the heralded trio of Troy Terry (10 points), Dylan Gambrell (10) and Henrik Borgstrom (8). Borgstrom, Gambrell and Colin Staub (8) are on five-game point streaks. Terry is on a three-game heater and was selected the NCAA’s third star of the week after a five-point weekend in Boston, that included his winner vs. BU with 16 seconds left and four assists. Staub (who has played well with Terry and Gambrell), Liam Finlay (5) and Tyson McLellan (5) are giving foes something else to worry about. Then consider the Pioneers are without a goal from junior Jarid Lukosevicius, who has played well for the most part. Lukosevicius has never gone six games into a season with out a goal at DU, so he seems due. … Goaltender Tanner Jaillet (2.13 goals-against average and .918) was excellent in Boston last weekend. … DU’s 4-0-2 start is its best in five seasons under coach Jim Montgomery. … Senior captain Tariq Hammond has begun going through all of the drills at practice with the team and will be on the trip, but it sounded Wednesday like he is a week or so away from returning.

Western Michigan update

Throw the Broncos’ record out the window this weekend; they’re 3-1 at home, and the atmosphere at Lawson Arena probably is worth a goal per game for them. Western’s edge at home was something DU coach Jim Montgomery addressed this week. … The Broncos are big and fast up front, led by Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Wade Allison, a 6-foot-2 and 205-pound sophomore who has nine points, senior Aidan Muir, 6-4 senior who is an Edmonton Oilers draft pick and has three points and junior Colt Conrad, whose 11 points are tied for fifth most in the nation. Sophomore forwards Dawson DiPietro and Hugh McGing also have six points apiece. … Sophomore Ben Blacker, an all-NCHC Rookie Team member a season ago, has started every game in net and has a 2.28 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. … When the Broncos are good, they’re usually really good. When they’re not, they’re not. Despite a .500 record, they average nearly .6 goal per game more than their foes. … WMU has drawn nearly seven power plays per game and connects 17.5 percent of the time.

How it could go down

The Broncos are typically stronger with the lead. Thus far they have not demonstrated they can consistently come back and win games so it’s imperative for DU to play a solid road game – capitalize on their chances and limit the Broncos. Hammond has been a great equalizer for Allison, who is one of the best power forwards in Division I. But the Pioneers handled another one of those, BU’s Jordan Greenway pretty well last Friday. DU should at least split, but a sweep would be helpful because its next three series are vs. No. 2 St. Cloud State, No. 4 North Dakota and No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth.

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