DU-BU Round 2: What to Watch For

No. 2 Denver is going with the same lineup for tonight’s Game 2 vs. No. 2 Boston University, while the Terriers have shuffled their lines. Here are a few story lines to watch for:

Energy levels

Can the Pioneers sustain their superlative effort level from Friday? It took BU two periods to match it and by that time DU had a 4-1 lead. The guess here is the Terriers charge out of the gate tonight. DU, as it demonstrated last night, is more than capable of handling that, but the Pioneers need another strong commitment to team defense.

Tightening the D

BU tended to get its shots in bunches Friday. It’s not a question of if that will happen tonight but how often. If the Pioneers can gain control of the puck and exit their zone cleanly it will go a long way toward improving their chances of a sweep. Conversely, BU needs to tighten up its D coverage all the way around, especially on the backside, where DU’s weak side forwards feasted on chances. Exhibit A: senior Evan Janssen, who had the first two goal-game of his Pioneers career.

Zebra watch

The other area that hurt BU in the first two periods was its penalties, some of which appeared to be of the frustration variety. DU coach Jim Montgomery said his team was energized by its power play, particularly Matt Marcinew‘s first-period goal after Will Butcher’s shot. DU was very disciplined, taking just three minors. That has to continue for a sweep to happen because BU demonstrated its quick-strike ability both on the power play and the penalty kill.

 

 

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