In this case, the man advantage meant one man too many.
Top-ranked Boston College found another way to beat the University of Denver on Saturday night. The Eagles, who used an explosive transition game to rout the No. 6 Pioneers 6-2 on Friday, committed a bunch of penalties in Game 2 and watched the Pioneers waste their time on the power play.
Lethargic DU went 0-of-9 with the extra attacker, producing just 20 shots overall, and none went in the BC net as the defending NCAA champions won 3-0 to sweep the nonconference series.
“Compared to (Friday) night, we played a lot better as a team,” DU captain Kyle Ostrow said. “They’re a really good team, probably the best team we’ll play this year. For us to keep it close and have an opportunity to win was good. We just have to find the back of the net.”
Before a subdued sellout crowd of 6,027 at Magness Arena, Eagles winger Jimmy Hayes beat Sam Brittain in the first period and defenseman Tommy Cross put a puck past the freshman goalie in the second.
DU pulled Brittain in the final two minutes for the extra attacker, but that advantage backfired. Winger Cam Atkinson notched an empty-net goal at 19:43.
Given his team’s 11 penalties, BC coach Jerry York was surprised at the outcome.
“It’s hard to win a game like that, especially with a shutout, when you’re in the box that much,” York said. “I never felt comfortable when they were on the power play. I thought our ability to block shots, cut down on the passing lanes and getting big saves from the goaltender were the difference.”
Perhaps the Pioneers (1-2-1) just had too many opportunities to put a puck past sophomore goalie Parker Milner. DU had eight of the game’s first nine power plays, including a consecutive seven-minute stretch early in the third period after BC’s Chris Kreider (tripping) and Philip Samuelsson (five-minute major for contact to the head) took penalties at 1:42 and 3:30.
DU produced just eight shots with the advantage and finished 0-of-17 on the weekend. The Pioneers are 1-of-21 on the season.
“Our biggest disappointment,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said of his team’s power play. “Boston College made it very difficult on us. They’re the gold standard. I can’t see anybody any better than that team. They certainly took away a lot of our options (on the power play).”
BC (3-0) has now outscored its last five opponents 23-3 dating to the Frozen Four in April. Maybe the only thing the Eagles didn’t do well against Denver was score a power-play goal. The Eagles were 0-of-6 on Friday and 0-of-3 in Game 2.
DU continues its four-game home stand Friday with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association opener against Wisconsin.
“We can only get better,” Ostrow said.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
DU Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Jimmy Hayes.
BC junior scored the winner 1:28 into the game after forcing a turnover.
2. Tommy Cross.
BC defenseman got second goal and spearheaded a suffocating defense.
3. Cam Atkinson.
Eagles wing had an empty-net goal and a game-high eight shots.
What you might have missed
DU freshman wing Jason Zucker appeared to suffer a serious leg injury at the end of the second period after taking a knee-on-knee hit from BC captain Joe Whitney. But Zucker returned in the third period and produced a team-high three shots, and six for the game.
Up next
Wisconsin, Friday at Magness Arena, 7 p.m.
