Missing from the University of Denver’s double-digit unbeaten streak was that decisive victory, a no-doubt result that was clear before the third-period began. It almost came Saturday, at the expense of the Wisconsin Badgers and first-year coach Tony Granato, the former Avalanche assistant and head bench boss.
The Badgers, however, refused to succumb to Denver’s three-goal, third-period lead and gave the No. 2-ranked Pioneers what they are accustomed to: a tight game to the very end.
Freshman center Henrik Borgstrom had two goals and classmate Michael Davies, a defenseman, collected his first career NCAA goal after inadvertently steering the puck in DU’s net for the Badgers’ first goal.
Wisconsin rallied to tie it 2-2 early in the second period and got within 5-3, 6-4 and 6-5 in the third period. It was 6-3 when DU’s Evan Ritt of Lakewood was ejected for checking from behind at 9:01, and the Badgers scored twice on the five-minute major to chase goalie Tanner Jaillet, who allowed more than three goals for the first time this season.
“I didn’t like the way we played in the third. I thought we were too casual and I thought we weren’t committed to defense,” said DU coach Jim Montgomery, who was a teammate with Granato for the San Jose Sharks in 2000-01. “But you know what, you need to win all kinds of games. Usually, when the tide turns like that and their power play is buzzing, teams don’t regroup. But I thought our leaders and our bench did a great job of regrouping. Once it went back to 5-on-5 I thought we really managed the puck well.”
Seniors Matt Marcinew and Will Butcher and sophomore Troy Terry also scored for the Pioneers, who led 5-2 after two periods. Terry had two assists for a three-point night along with sophomore Dylan Gambrell (three assists).
Denver, which opened its nonconference weekend Friday with a 4-3 overtime victory at Air Force, reached 10 goals in a two-game weekend for the first time this season. The Pioneers (9-2-3) return to National Collegiate Hockey Association games Friday and Saturday in a home-and-home Gold Pan series with Colorado College, which fell to Wisconsin 2-1 on Friday.
Montgomery was pleased with his team’s scoring on the weekend but not too happy with its eight goals-against. DU was 3-of-11 on the power play against Air Force and Wisconsin but allowed five goals in 13 shorthanded situations.
“Our puck possession has gotten better and our power play has gotten better. It’s just human nature when the offense comes, you take shortcuts defensively,” Montgomery said. “We have to get back to what has led us to this long unbeaten streak, and that’s starts with defense.
The Badgers entered Saturday 7-4 — their best record through 11 games since 2005-06 (8-1-2) — but DU was just their third top-10 opponent.