No. 1 Denver (2-0) at No. 14 Massachusetts (0-1)

5 p.m. Friday, and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Amherst, Mass.

Streaming / Radio: ESPN+ / 104.3 FM HD3

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

This is a battle of the past two NCAA Division I champions, and an important series in that it offers both schools an opportunity to build Tournament resumes against foes from outside their regions. … The Pioneers are coming off two wins to capture the Ice Breaker Tournament. The defense, as expected, was strong, and goaltenders Magnus Chrona and Matt Davis each played well. Despite eight goals – three of them by sophomore Carter Mazur and two by linemate Casey Dornbach – DU’s offense looked disjointed at times. The power play had moments of excellence and other times it looked pedestrian. This might be relative, however, since the Pioneers did knock off the No. 9 team in the country and an up-and-coming program while outshooting their guests by 9 shots per game (31.5-22.5). Integrating four to six new forwards into the lineup at any given time clearly will be a process. Two things that were abundantly clear were DU has an immense amount of speed and skill. … Depth at center could be a bit of an issue. Junior McKade Webster left Saturday’s 3-1 victory vs. Maine in the first period and was a question mark to play. Freshman Aidan Thompson, who sustained an injury during the U.S. World Junior evaluation camp this summer, has resumed skating but is probably a few weeks away from making his debut.

Much like the Pioneers, UMass has large influx of freshmen who will have to play important roles for it. Four of them were picks in this summer’s NHL Entry Draft (defenseman Noah Ellis and forwards Kenny Connors, Tyson Dyck and Cole O’Hara). Unlike the Pioneers, the Minutemen have to replace their top two goaltenders. Sophomore Luke Pavicich got the start in a 2-2 tie against AIC, and he made 34 saves on 36 shots. … Defenseman Scott Morrow, a 2021 second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, is the Minutemen’s best player.

©First Line Editorial 2022