Denver scored two goals in each of the final five periods of its series against Miami last month, one the Pioneers dominated, outscoring the RedHawks, 10-3.
Denver has won its last seven games in Oxford and is 13-0-1 in the teams’ last 14 meetings.
Miami’s last win over DU at Cady Arena came on Jan. 5, 2018.
But the Pioneers will be missing at least one of its best players on Friday, giving the RedHawks a better chance of snapping their program-worst 20-game losing streak.
VFG takes a look at the upcoming series:
WHO: No. 6 Denver Pioneers (21-8-1) at Miami RedHawks (3-23-2).
WHERE: Cady Arena (3,049), Oxford, Ohio.
WHEN: Friday — 5:35 p.m.; Saturday — 6:05 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Denver leads, 35-13-4.
VIDEO STREAMING: NCHC.tv ($), Rock Entertainment Sports Network.
MIAMI RADIO: Both nights–WMOH-AM (1450), Hamilton, Ohio. Greg Waddell (PxP) and Drew Davis (color).
DENVER RADIO: Both nights — KKFN-FM (104.3), Denver, Colo.
NOTES: Maybe it’s encouraging that Denver has split its last four road series?
Jack Devine, Aidan Thompson, Carter King and Sam Harris are still killing it up front.
The Pioneers lead Division I in goals per game (3.98), and Devine leads the entire NCAA field in assists by six (33) and points (41).
Harris is tied for sixth in college hockey with 19 goals, nine on the power play and six game-winners.
Thompson (16-21-37) and King (14-16-30) both have six PPGs apiece.
And with seven points in his last eight games, Samu Salminen has also been a force up front, going 8-12-20 including two shorthanded goals.
Defenseman Zeev Buium is one of the top ready-to-NHL draftees in recent history, but he’s suspended for Friday’s game because of a fight at the end of the UND series last Saturday. It was the first suspension of the season handed out by the NCHC.
Buium, a Minnesota first-rounder, leads all Division I defensemen in assists (27) and is second in points (33).
Bemidji State transfer and San Jose draftee Eric Pohlkamp is 7-19-26, and fellow sophomore Boston Buckberger has six goals and 14 assists.
Goalie Matt Davis (no relation to the former Miami star of the same name) left Friday’s game vs. North Dakota and did not play in the finale.
Davis is 20-6-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage, and his status for this weekend is unclear.
Sophomore Freddie Halyk is 1-2, 2-24 GAA with a save percentage of .911 and suffered the loss last Saturday vs. North Dakota.
In the don’t-shoot-the-messenger department, Miami has lost a school-record 20 straight games and needs at least two points to remain mathematically eligible for an NCHC Tournament berth.
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