Denver Thrown Off Its Game by Western Michigan, Ending Enormously Successful 4-Year Run
by Mike McMahon/Staff Writer (@mikemcmahon)
(photo: Rich Gagnon)
ST. LOUIS Denver wasn’t itself for the first two periods in St. Louis on Thursday night.
It had a total of eight shots.
The Pioneers were limited. There’s no other way to put it. Western Michigan took Denver off its game.
The Broncos also took star Denver defenseman Zeev Buium off his game. Instead of effortlessly navigating his way up and down the rink, he looked a step slower. Maybe he was hampered by something — he took a shot seemingly to the knee early in the game and came up hobbling. Maybe it was just Western Michigan’s game plan.
“They’re a good hockey team,” Denver coach David Carle said. “That’s just two teams on the ice trying to battle it out.”
Boston College played Buium with a lot of physicality in the regional final in Manchester two weeks ago. Western Michigan did more of the same. That, combined with playing 30’ish minutes per game in the absence of Boston Buckberger, may have taken its toll.
There’s no telling the next step for Buium. He certainly seems ready to jump into the NHL with the Minnesota Wild. If this was his last game as a Pioneer, even if it didn’t end the way he wanted, Carle will only remember his tremendous contributions to the program.
“Zeev and his brother [Shai] both contributed a lot to Denver hockey,” Carle said. “Obviously they’re part of these championships that we’ve won over the last couple of years.
“Zeev is a hell of a hockey player. He didn’t come in as a projected first-round pick, but really got an opportunity, showed his stuff, showed who he can really be and flourished at our program.
“I’m so happy for him, proud of him with everything he was able to accomplish.”
It was the end of the line for a lot of two-time champs at Denver. Leading scorer Jack Devine will graduate. Carter King, Connor Caponi and Matt Davis also played their final games as Pioneers.
Davis did his best to keep his team while during the disastrous first 40 minutes.
“Obviously he was ready to go in this game through the first two periods,” Carle said. “I’m so proud of everything he’s been through throughout his time. Being the backup for two years, playing his first five games as a junior, gets injured,…
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