Four goals usually is more than enough for Denver to win on most nights. Saturday at Kalamazoo, Mich., wasn’t like most nights.

Western Michigan scored seven goals in the final 23:23 of the game to stun the Pioneers, 7-4, sweep the two-game NCHC-opening series and unofficially end DU’s early-season stay at No. 1.

Now, exhale Pioneers fans. It’s the first weekend in November, expectations for a team with nine freshmen have been through the roof, and the NCHC is such a competitive league that a road sweep in and of itself isn’t cause for four alarms.

What is disturbing is that Denver (4-2-2, 0-2 NCHC) scored nine goals on the weekend and emerged with zero points. Tanner Jaillet surrendered the most goals (six) he’s allowed in 102 games in a DU uniform. With upcoming series against St. Cloud State, North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth, the Pioneers will have plenty of opportunities to correct a suddenly very non-defensive posture.

It isn’t as if fall hiccups are that uncommon. Coach Jim Montgomery‘s teams typically gain steam as the season progresses, and with a young lineup you expect some speed bumps. The coach said so himself after Friday’s game.

Still the quickness and depth of meltdowns two nights in a row is unsettling. That Saturday’s came against the reigning Mike Richter Award winner is further surprising. Add in that the Pioneers had been averaging more than 40 shots per game but were held to 19.

Things started well enough. Henrik Borgstrom and Dylan Gambrell scored in the first period, the latter with seven seconds left, and freshman Jaako Heikkinen tallied five minutes in the the second to give DU a 3-0 lead, chasing a Western goalie – this time Austin Cain  – for the second night. Ben Blacker, who was bounced after DU’s fourth goal Friday, replaced him. Then Wade Allison happened.

The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick scored twice in the final 3:23 of the period to make it a one-goal game and set the stage for Broncos breakout in the last 11:39 of the third.

Jarid Lukosevicius scored his first of the season, giving DU a second power-play goal (Borgstrom’s strike was the first), and DU had a 4-2 lead.

Just as they did Friday, the Broncos (5-3-1, 2-0 NCHC) then scored in bunches, but they started about 10 minutes sooner. Colt Conrad, Hugh McGing and Paul Washe struck in a 43-second span ending 9:04 in to give WMU the lead for good. For good measure Allison completed a hat trick during a power play four minutes later, with 6;57 to play. Jade McMullen iced it on an empty-netter with 3:28 to go.

By the numbers

DU converted two of its six power-play chances and killed off three of four penalties successfully. … Jaillet made 28 saves but saw his season save percentage dip below .900. … The teams were nearly even in the circle, with DU winning 34 of 67 draws.

DU’s three stars

1. Jaako Heikkinen. The freshman scored a goal for the second night in a row and won 9 of 10 face-offs.
2. Troy Terry. Three more assists for the junior assistant captain.
3. Jarid Lukosevicius. He had a goal, an assist and was plus-1, which was an accomplishment on this night.

Next up

The Pioneers play host to presumed new No. 1 St. Cloud State, which swept Minnesota Duluth this weekend. Friday’s and Saturday’s games are at Magness Arena at 7:05 p.m.