A fourth consecutive matchup shutout was not in the offing in game two of the weekend series between the #1 Denver Pioneers (8-0-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) and Yale Bulldogs (0-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) but DU’s methodical, 5-1 dismantling of the hosts at Ingalls Ice Rink in New Haven, Conn. certainly had the same feeling as the three prior DU shutouts dating back to last November. If it wasn’t for one hail mary of a shot that just squeaked through Freddie Halyk’s pads in the first period, we would be sitting here talking about a fourth straight Yale goose egg against Denver. Instead, we’re talking about a strong, efficient Pioneers side that quietly took what Yale gave them, including seven power plays, and came away with a four-goal victory.

To even the most casual observer, the talent gap between the Pioneers and Bulldogs was obvious and wide throughout the weekend. Yale skated harder and better this weekend than they did at any point in the 5-0, 9-0 series at Magness Arena last season but when you’re playing a strong, focused, and well-coached Denver team, and opening your season against them at that, you need more than just good skating to pull off the upset. Then, when you hand that Denver team, clicking at 32.5% with the man advantage, seven power plays, you make your task impossible.

Basically, this game and this weekend went exactly as you’d expect it to go. The Pioneers thoroughly outclassed and dismantled the Bulldogs to the tune of 6-0 and 5-1 victories and scored four power-play goals – 1/2 last night and 3/7 tonight – along the way.

In game two, Yale opened the scoring with a goal that was reviewed for about five minutes after it was determined that the puck barely snuck through Halyk’s pad. But the goal was nothing more than a small hiccup for the Pioneers. Carter King answered six minutes later on Denver’s third power play of the first period and then DU yet again stepped on the gas in the second period. Aidan Thompson and James Reeder both scored on the power play, sandwiching Jared Wright’s even-strength goal to carry a commanding 4-1 lead into the third period. And Denver coasted from there. Thompson added another marker for good measure with a minute and a half left but the result, of course, was never in doubt.

Truthfully, it feels as though we could have just copied and pasted last night’s recap here and no one would have been the wiser. It was that kind of game. Yet again, 12 Pioneers recorded at least a point while four different Pioneers found the back of the night. Thompson  (1-2-3)and Zeev Buium (0-2-2) each recorded multi-point games and Jack Devine – the NCAA’s scoring leader with 16 points – extended his NCAA-best assist total to a whopping 15 through eight games (he has a four-assist lead on the rest of the country and 2nd place as played one more game than Devine). For his part, Buium is now tied for third with 10 assists.

As a team, Denver is leading the country in scoring with 5.1 goals per game but possibly more importantly, they are tied for second in goals allowed per game with 1.4 among teams with at least five games played. Now, it’s not like the Pioneers have played the toughest schedule in the country. Yes, they’re unbeaten through eight games but their two toughest series have come at home against a Northeastern team still working to put everything together in the early going and an underachieving Wisconsin team (though both of them were ranked in the USCHO Top 20 when they ventured to Magness Arena).

You can only play the team in front of you and the Pioneers have passed every test to this point in the young season with flying colors. But the reality is Denver’s toughest tests are still ahead of them, including a trip to Grand Forks to open NCHC play against North Dakota – which was swept by Cornell in Ithaca this weekend after splitting with Boston University at The Ralph last weekend – in two weeks.

DU, which became just the 6th program to reach 1,600 victories with tonight’s win, quite literally could not have had a better start to their 2024-25 title defense. The lumps and challenges are coming as they always do but banking eight victories against teams from the Big Ten, ECAC, Hockey East, and an independent before the second weekend of November sure is nice.

Highlights