No. 2 Denver (7-2-3, 3-0-3 NCHC) at Air Force (6-4-2, 4-2 AHC)
Friday: 7:05 p.m. at Cadet Arena
Radio: Xtra Sports 1300 AM and online at GoAirForceFalcons.com
All-time series: DU leads 16-2-1
Last season: The teams split two games to open the season, with each team winning on home ice.
Common opponents: Denver swept No. 18 Western Michigan in two close games at Magness Arena, while Air Force rallied to tie the Broncos, 5-5, on Friday before losing, 3-1, on Saturday. Air Force defeated Ohio State and Boston College at the season-opening Ice Breaker tournament, while DU lost close games to both.
Overview
The Falcons have been up and down so far this season. They followed a 2-0-1 start and winning the Denver Ice Breaker Tournament with a 1-3 stretch. Then came three wins in a row before last weekend. The Pioneers have followed up two home losses with a 10-game unbeaten streak (7-0-3) that included a pair of NCHC ties against Miami. DU won in the shootout both nights. … The Falcons are 3-1 at home, while the Pioneers are 3-0-1 on the road. … Denver will be without senior forwards Emil Romig, who is not expected back until January because of a lower-body injury, and Evan Janssen (upper body). Air Force forward Matt Serratore, the team’s leading scorer, missed last weekend with an upper-body injury but is expected to play this weekend. … This is the teams’ only scheduled meeting of the season. (injuries)
Offense
Phil Boje
In one way this offers a bit of a contrast. The Falcons can, and do, come in waves, and their balanced scoring reflects that. No player has more than Serratore’s 10 points, but seven players have five or more points. Forward Jordan Himley leads with five goals, while defenseman Phil Boje has four. Boje and Himley’s center, Kyle Haak, each have nine points. The Falcons have 18 skaters with at least one goal, including six defensemen. …
The Pioneers have been more top-heavy. Just 13 players have points, 10 with goals. Freshman Henrik Borgstrom leads in points (11) and goals (6), while defenseman Will Butcher has a team-high eight assists among his 10 points and sophomore Troy Terry has nine points and five goals. Butcher, the team’s captain, and Adam Plant are the only defensemen with goals. …
One thing that is the same is neither team has been prolific on offense thus far. Air Force averages 3 goals per game (27th), while Denver nets 2.42 goals per game (47th)
Defense
The main reason DU is on the run it’s on is because of goaltender Tanner Jaillet and an air-tight, experienced defense. The Pioneers allow just 1.75 goals per game (2nd in D-I). Jaillet has allowed no more than two goals (three times) in the 10-game run. His 1.61 goals-against average is sixth in D-I, and only one goalie above him has played more games than him. His save percentage of .935 is eighth. …
Air Force has allowed 3.33 goals per game (43rd) and pulled sophomore goaltender Shane Starrett, an All-AHC pick as a freshman last season, after he gave up four goals in the first period at Western Michigan. Billy Christopoulos allowed just one goal the rest of the way and was solid again on Saturday, when WMU outshot the Falcons 47-19. Starrett is 6-2-1 with a 2.89 gaa and a .910 save percentage, while Christopoulos is 0-2-1 with a 3.33 and .892. …
Special teams
Both teams have excellent penalty kills and middle-of-the-pack power plays. The Falcons’ PK is 10th in Division I at 87.7 percent. The Pioneers aren’t far behind at 86.2 (17th). …
DU converts 16.7 percent of its power plays and a vast majority of its goals have come from the top unit, which typically includes Borgstrom (3 goals), Dylan Gambrell (2), Jarid Lukosevicius (2), Terry and Butcher (1). …
AFA converts 14.3 percent of its PPs, and lately the scoring has been coming from the points as defensemen have four of their nine PPGs. Forwards Evan Giesler (who had a four-point weekend at WMU) and Ben Kucera each have two PPGs. …
Both teams are very disciplined. DU averages just 8.83 PIM per game, best in the country, while AFA takes 14.33, which is in the top half.
Follow @AFAFlightPath for in-game updates Friday and a post-game recap
