Miami (3-6-2, 0-4 NCHC) at No. 1 Denver (7-2-1, 3-0-1)
When: Friday at 7:30 p.m. (104.3 FM); Saturday at 7 p.m. (1600 AM)
Overview: The Pioneers are undefeated in eight consecutive games after their opening-weekend case of the hiccups vs. No. 14 Ohio State and No. 3 Boston College. DU is probably catching Miami at a good time as the RedHawks have lost five in a row, including their past four in a row in NCHC play. Seven of the RedHawks’ top-10 scorers are underclassmen and both of their goaltenders are freshmen. In addition to losing captain Sean Kuraly to graduation (and the Boston Bruins’ lineup), the RedHawks’ were stung by the summer departure of sophomore Jack Roslovic, who signed with the Winnipeg Jets after scoring 26 points as a freshman.
Here is a closer look at the teams’ offense, defense and special teams.
Offense
The RedHawks score 2.55 goals per game (45th in Division I) and generate almost 26 shots on goal. The Pioneers haven’t scored much more, just 2.60 gpg (42nd), but they haven’t needed to either. …
Senior forward Anthony Lewis leads the way with 15 points and nine goals. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect is a clutch player (two GWG) and one of the two main snipers on an effective power play. Sophomore Kiefer Sherwood is the other PP ace, with four of his six goals coming there. He has 14 points overall. Freshman Carson Meyer is the third forward in double figures in points with 10. Junior defensemen Louie Belpedio (Minnesota Wild) and Scott Dornbrock are the biggest scoring threats from the back end, and each has six points. …
Freshman center Henrik Borgstrom (Florida Panthers) leads DU with 11 points and six goals and has been on a roll of late. Sophomore forwards Dylan Gambrell (San Jose Sharks), Jarid Lukosevicius and Troy Terry (Anaheim Ducks) each have six points, and Gambrell has been on a point-per-game clip since returning from an upper-body injury four games ago. Senior captain Will Butcher (Colorado Avalanche) supplies the lion’s share of the blue-line scoring (nine points), but sophomore Blake Hillman is coming off a two-point game and junior Adam Plant scored his first goal of the season in Saturday’s win at North Dakota.
Defense
Miami has struggled on this front, particularly in their four NCHC games. They’ve allowed 3.36 goals per game overall but a whopping 5.75 in conference play. They allow slightly less than 30 shots on goal per game. Ryan Larkin has gotten more work than his freshman tag-team partner, Chase Munroe. Larkin is 3-4-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. …
The Pioneers, whose 1.80 goals per game allowed is third best in Division I, have no such worries as junior Tanner Jaillet has played as well as any goalie in Division I hockey and has numbers of 7-1-1/1.66/.934 to show for it. The latter two both rank sixth in the nation. After allowing three goals in the opener and again in the first game against Boston University on Oct. 14, Jaillet has not given up more than two goals in a game more twice. His other five starts have seen him allow just one goal. Senior Evan Cowley was solid in his one start so far, and this might be a weekend to get him a second.
Special teams
The power play is the better of the RedHawks’ two units, hitting at 20 percent (T17th). The penalty kill is effective 83.3 percent of the time, which is tied for 30th. …
The Pioneers have run hot and cold. After going 4 for 27 to start the season on the power play, they hit an 0-for-9 skid. The past three games they’ve gone 5 for 17. Overall it’s 17 percent (T30th), the median number in D-I. Their penalty kill is at 84.4 percent (T25th).
Outlook: Miami traditionally has played DU tough, but its lack of experience, especially on defense and in the net, will come into play on the road (where it is 1-3 so far) against a superior team. The guess here is the RedHawks will be dramatically improved and a much tougher out during the teams’ mid-February meeting at Oxford, Ohio.
@MagnessMayhem
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