BOSTON — If anyone was overdue for a treat this Halloween, it was Boston University left wing Ahti Oskanen.
Last Saturday night, Oksanen had a dubious hat trick: He hit three posts. Afterward, coach David Quinn said that he must be leading the nation in that category — all without notching a single goal despite also leading the team with 23 shots in his first five games.
How many posts had he hit?
“I’d say close to 10,” Oksanen said. “It’s been really frustrating, but to be honest, I haven’t thought about hitting posts in the last couple of games. I’ve been just worrying about playing well.”
Oksanen played very well indeed Saturday night, finally scoring his first two goals of the young season, including the game-winner just 21 seconds into overtime, to lead No. 8 BU to 5-4 win over No. 5 Denver in front of 3,084 at Agganis Arena.
It was a game of more tricks than treats for both teams.
BU squandered a 4-2 lead in the third period, giving up the equalizer on a shorthanded goal just 11 seconds in a Terrier power play. Meanwhile, Denver showed real resilience and grit to tie it up, only to lose it on Oskanen’s shot off of a garden-variety rush in overtime.
Still, it was a much needed win for the Terriers after road losses to Connecticut on Tuesday and Merrimack Friday night.
“It’s certainly nice to bounce back and get a win after last night,” Quinn said. “I really liked our first two periods. I think the third period was a microcosm of where we’re at mentally now. I don’t know if we’re really ready to win and put teams away, but a big part of it was how they responded. They were a desperate team going into that third period.”
For the second night in a row, Denver battled hard against a top-10 opponent on the road, only to come up a goal short. Friday night, it was a 4-3 loss to Boston College and Saturday night, it was the Eagles’ archrivals down the road.
“I thought it was a good game, a lot of momentum swings,” Denver coach Jim Montgomery said. “It was very contrasting styles. You had more of our speed and transition against their puck possession down low, which gave us some problems on three goals. And I think our transition game gave them a lot of problems.
“It’s two losses in a row this weekend that are pretty demoralizing, but this is really mentally tough group. The fact that we’re down 4-2 in the third, and we just kept coming. That’s our attitude. We’re going to be relentless and keep coming at you.”
BU scored less than two minutes into the game, when Matt Lane stickhandled behind the net before coming out front and dishing it to freshman Ryan Cloonan for the one-timer and a goal.
The Pioneers tied it up halfway through the period when Matt Marcinew raced up the right wing and crossed to Will Butcher for a 20-foot wrist shot that beat BU goalie Connor LaCouvee stick side.
The Terriers regained the lead late in the period when A.J. Greer won a puck battle behind the net and slipped a backhanded pass to Robbie Baillargeon for another one-time, this one going through Tanner Jaillet’s five-hole.
It looked like BU might be starting to run away with it at 7:09 in the second when defenseman Brandon Hickey skated in on the right wing and flipped a backhanded shot on net from a sharp angle, seeming to catch Jaillet by surprise.
Montgomery pulled his goalie at that point in favor of Evan Cowley, and Denver responded with its first two shots of the period and a goal, as Gabe Levin knocked in the rebound of an Evan Janssen shot.
On a power play at 13:42, BU made it 4-2 when Oksanen tapped in a puck that found its way from Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson to Danny O’Regan to the Finnish forward.
Denver looked down and out at that point, but came out fighting for the final 20 minutes of regulation. At 4:46, the Pioneers made it 4-3 when Troy Terry swept at a rebound while falling down, knocking it in for his first collegiate goal.
Then real disaster struck for BU when Quentin Shore scored on his own rebound off a shorthanded rush at 12:07. Denver proceeded to look like it was on the power play for the next minute or two.
Fortunately for the Terriers, LaCouvee made some big asaves while BU was getting outshot in the period, setting the stage for Oksanen’s OT game-winner.
Hickey blocked a shot and Forsbacka Karlsson raced off with the puck before passing to Oksanen on the left wing. His shot from along the boards beat Cowley glove side.
“They ended up getting the right play at the right time,” Montgomery said.
