The biggest series of the weekend in the WCHA is in Denver. There the St. Cloud Huskies, 4-2-0, play the Pioneers, 4-0-0, for first place if either team can sweep. Both are 2-0-0 in the WCHA, tied at the top with four points.
Both teams also have won four games in a row.
This is the first time DU has started 4-0-0 since 2008. The Pioneers also have scored five goals in every win. They have not scored that many goals -- five or more -- in each of their first five games since 1987.
DU, which has seven NHL draft picks on its roster, is ranked No. 3 nationally behind Boston College and the Gophers in both major polls. The Pioneers, picked to finish third in preseason conference polls, returned 18 lettermen. Their strength was expected to be defense and so it has been.
Three of DU's top scorers play on the blue line. Sophomore Joey LaLeggia (3-3-6), junior David Makowski (2-3-5) and freshman Nolan Zajac (1-4-5) are all off to good starts. Except for the first period of the season, the Pioneers have scored at least one goal in every period.
Junior goalie Sam Britain has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .970 save percentage in two victories.
Special teams are another DU strength. The Pioneers' power play is six of 16, 37.5 percent. The penalty kill is 17 of 19, or 89.5 percent.
DU is 39-33-4 vs. St. Cloud State all-time.
