One of the more remarkable statistics during top-ranked Denver’s school-record 10-0 start was the goal total of its top two scorers from last season.

Before Friday, Jack Devine and Zeev Buium had combined for all of one goal after combining for nearly 40 last season.

Buium, who had 11 last season, got his first three this season in the Pioneers’ 5-2 victory at No. 10 North Dakota on Friday. Devine, meanwhile has morphed from goal machine (27 last season) to passing machine. The senior added three more assists, giving him an NCAA-best 19 among his Division I-leading 20 points.

Here are three observations from the Pioneers’ win:

20 and counting

Denver has not lost since March, a span of 20 consecutive games. What’s remarkable about that is the Pioneers had to replace six of their top nine scorers. Yet this season’s group has picked right up.

One of the more impressive parts of DU’s game right now is its consistency. It’s scored four or more goals in all 11 games, no easy feat. It leads D-I in both offense (4.9 goals per game) and defense (1.4 goals-against).

The offense is formidable thanks to its balance — six players have 13 or more points, led by Devine’s 20, Aidan Thompson’s 19 and Sam Harris’ 15. All figured prominently in Friday’s outcome.

Defensively, they’re doing a good job protecting goaltender Matt Davis from too many high-danger chances. The tighter game that saw them succeed last spring has remained all fall.

And Davis continues to make clutch saves when needed, and he had to make a couple on Friday.

Friday’s turning point

After Buium sandwiched goals around a Drew Montgomery strike in the first period, Davis, Devine and Thompson came up big in the second period.

Harris staked DU to a 3-1 lead with his NCAA-best 10th goal 3:07 into the second. That’s where it stood until the final four minutes.

Ben Strinden scored on a breakaway after a Denver defenseman lost an edge — and the puck — at the NoDak line. Seconds later, the Fighting Hawks’ Dalton Andrew had another breakaway after a similar DU snafu. Davis made the save, and Thompson promptly scored his eighth of the season on a one-timer from the right circle after a beautiful dot-to-dot pass from Devine. All of this happened within a minute.

https://twitter.com/DU_Hockey/status/1857624188590100886

That 4-2 margin effectively ended the game because DU limited the hosts to just four shots on goal in the third period. Buium added an aerial empty-net goal in the closing seconds.

Details, details

Not only did Denver outshoot North Dakota 39-24, but the Pioneers got the best of special teams as well.

Last season, North Dakota had a huge special teams advantage in the teams’ four meetings (tallying on 7 of 15 power plays), but not Friday. Buium’s second goal came on one of DU’s four power plays, and the Pioneers snuffed out all four Fighting Hawks man-advantages.

In one night Denver got as many NCHC points (three) than it managed in four games last season. That it accomplished that in one of the nation’s most difficult venues only adds fuel to its blazing start.

Saturday: The teams play the second game of the series at 5 p.m. (NCHC.tv)

©First Line Editorial 2024