Coming off a lackluster 0-for-2 weekend, missing one of their top returning players and facing the No. 2 team in the nation this happened.
No. 10 Denver buckled down and imposed its will on Boston University for much of the game for a hard-fought 4-3 victory Friday night at Magness Arena. The Terriers (1-1) mounted a furious rally in the third period, but DU held fast and picked up its first victory in three games this season.
Senior Evan Janssen scored DU’s final two goals in a three-goal second-period burst that staked the Pioneers to a 4-1 lead. He also screened BU goalie Jake Oettinger for Troy Terry‘s goal 4:02 int the period. But DU had to fend off a determined Terriers team in the third period.
Matt Marcinew staked DU to its first first-period lead of the season when he tipped in Will Butcher‘s shot on the power play with 2:05 to go in the first period.
“I liked the team togetherness, how hard we were to play against,” DU coach Jim Montgomery said.
Here is what we learned:
Setting the tone
DU needed a strong start and it got one. Aside from a couple of flurries of shots by BU, the Pioneers largely locked down the Terriers’ high-powered offense for two periods. Empowered by their 1-0 lead, the Pioneers added to early in the second with two goals in 42 seconds less than five minutes in to take a 3-0 lead. The Terriers turned the tables in the third period, however, when Jordan Greenway scored 2:47 in after a scramble in front of the DU net. Tanner Jaillet appeared to have the puck covered but the whistle wasn’t blown. Clayton Keller scored a shorthanded breakaway with 9:12 remaining to pull the Terriers within one. “Our power play gave us momentum,” Montgomery said.
Senior moments
The Janssen-Logan O’Connor–Tyson McLellan line was outstanding, combining for 11 shots. Janssen, who had never scored more than two goals in a season until his junior year, had two in a period. Marcinew and Butcher, as usual, were all over the place and Emil Romig and Matt VanVoorhis were solid. Romig had a glorious scoring opportunity halfway through the third that would have blown the game open. “The seniors have been good in their preparation and bring players along … you saw that with this type of effort for 60 minutes,” Montgomery said. “The Janssen line, they were special. I couldn’t get them out there enough.”
The collar stayed loose
The Pioneers could have reached for the panic button as their 4-1 lead nearly evaporated and BU found an extra gear in third period, but they didn’t. DU kept contesting the puck, jamming passing lanes and staying poised with the puck for the most part. “Being first on pucks (was important),” Montgomery said. “A guy like Greenway is hard to move.”
The best news, we get to watch another round of this Saturday night.
Notes
The Pioneers outshot the Terriers, 35-26. … The game featured 17 NHL draft picks, 11 from BU. … Much like their cross-town rivals at Boston College, the Terriers iced a young lineup – 13 underclassmen, including eight freshmen, most of the highly touted variety. … The Pioneers dressed a lineup headed by seven seniors.
Hard work can beat better talent, as the Pios proved tonight. This BU team is going to be amazing by year end – it’s the most talented BU team I’ve ever seen at Magness. That breakaway SHG by Clayton Keller was filthy. But BU had no answer for Janssen’s line, and that was the difference in the game.
Expect BU to clean-up the bad gap control on the backside coverage hole that Janssen kept exploiting all night. Pios will need to win the one-on-one puck battles if they hope to sweep. There must have been 20 NHL scouts in the house tonight….
Could not agree more on all counts. Besides outworking BU for most of the game, BU’s d zone coverage was shaky at times, and that might be their weak point. Still, their talent level was clear. Keller’s hands are ridiculous