Denver’s offensive struggles were solved – at least for one night – thanks to a 2-minute, 32-second flurry in the second period, and the second-ranked Pioneers went on to a 6-0 non-conference victory over Air Force on Saturday night at Magness Arena.

As it did earlier this season when coming off back-to-back losses – this time bookending the Christmas week off – DU answered in resounding fashion against an inspired opponent coming off a big win over Colorado College a night earlier.

The victory also saw senior Rudy Junda score his first NCAA goal in his 24th game.

“He’s a great human. He’s a great teammate,” said junior Jarid Lukosevicius, who scored Denver’s first second-period goal. “Seeing him scoring, it’s almost a better feeling than me scoring or anyone else scoring.”

Senior Tanner Jaillet and freshman Devin Cooley combined on an 18-save shutout.

The goal frenzy was the main attraction in a dominant second by the Pioneers (11-5-4), who outshot the guests 22-3 in that 20-minute segment, a figure helped by DU drawing six consecutive penalties, almost one on top of another.

That came on the heels of a first period in which the Pioneers built a 12-1 shots on goal edge at one point and controlled the play for all but the final five minutes, when Air Force (8-9-3) got some chances and nearly scored on a deflection.

“I thought we played with more purpose, more urgency, we won more footraces, we on more battles, and it was everybody,” DU coach Jim Montgomery said. “The way we broke pucks out led to good entries, which led to good puck possession. I thought our first period was our best first period of the year.”

The cumulative effect of the first 30 minutes or so seemed to fatigue the Falcons, and the Pioneers eventually capitalized … over and over and over and over again.

“We had confidence from the first, and I think we did a lot of things well,” Junda said. “We just stepped it up a notch and stepped on the gas pedal.”

Lukosevicius started the surge with 7:43 to play in the period on DU’s seventh power play when he roofed a rebound of his own shot off Billy Christopoulos‘ right pad over the prone Falcons netminder. It was the junior’s second goal in the past nine games. He also had two assists.

“It took a while but the first four power plays we were moving the puck really well and it was about time we scored,” Lukosevicius said.

Just 1:10 later, DU countered an AFA short-handed chance and Jaakko Heikkinen took a pass from Lukosevicius in the neutral zone and zoomed right down main street and roofed a puck over Christopoulos to quickly make it 3-0.

But the Pioneers weren’t done, thanks in large part to Logan O’Connor. The junior forward turned on the afterburners and beat a Falcons defender with a forehand-backhand move that he finished for a 4-0 lead that also finished Christopoulos’ night with 6:02 to go.

“I thought (O’Connor) was one of our best players last night, too,” Montgomery said. “His offensive game is really starting to emerge.

“It’s the best we’ve attacked an opponent’s end in a long time. Not only the player with the puck but people getting there for rebounds.”

The irony of Christopoulos’ departure was the junior had been very good until DU opened the floodgates. He left having made 30 saves in nearly 34 minutes of work. His replacement, Colorado native Zack LaRocque, made his second relief appearance of the season and gave up a rebound goal to DU freshman Ryan Barrow, who followed another O’Connor shot off a rush to make it 5-0 with 5:11 to play. The goal also was the first of Barrow’s college career.

Junda’s goal came with 5:37 to play, fittingly on the power play. It was Denver’s third man-advantage tally in 11 opportunities.

“It felt really good, I won’t lie. I really wanted that one,” said Junda, who grew up playing youth hockey in Colorado and attending DU games as a youth. “I try to be a team guy so I try not to think about it too much but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it felt really good. A pretty happy moment.”

Liam Finlay put the Pioneers on the board first when he took a pass from Heikkinen to the left of Christopoulos and put a backhander on the net that hit the goalie on the shoulder and rolled over into the net 6:14 in.

That the Pioneers generated so much offense from a host of sources not usually located near the top of the team stats page no doubt bodes well going forward.

“Tonight we finally put together a full game, and it was against a team we really respected coming into it,” Junda said. “We know how hard of workers they are. … We just made that emphasis to be the hardest workers, and tonight we took a step in that direction.”

Lineup shuffle

Freshmen Jake Durflinger and Ryan Orgel returned to the lineup. Durflinger replaced Jack Doremus at forward, while Orgel slotted in on defense with Tariq Hammond in place of Griffin Mendel, who sustained an upper-body injury Friday night. … The Pioneers also were without center Tyson McLellan (shoulder) and defensemen Adam Plant (upper body) and Sean Mostrom (upper body) because of injuries.

Denver’s three stars

1. Rudy Junda. Imagine waiting three seasons to play regularly, then going a half season more before you get your first NCAA goal.
2. Logan O’Connor. The junior had a goal and an assist to finish off the Pioneers’ four-goal blitz and was around the puck all game.
3. Jarid Lukosevicius. He broke out of a one-point-in-eight-games slump in a big way, figuring in DU’s first three goals, scoring the second.

Up next

The Pioneers travel to Oxford, Ohio, to play Miami next Friday (5:35 p.m. MST) and Saturday (5:05 p.m.) in their first NCHC series of the second half.