PWHL Minnesota Even Series With PWHL Boston With 3-0 Win

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On Tuesday night before another big crowd of 4.543 at Tsongas Center, Game 2 of the PWHL Finals took place between PWHL Minnesota and PWHL Boston. PWHL Boston had a 1-0 lead in the series thanks to a Game 1 victory on Sunday Night by a 4-3 score.

The win by Boston stretches their winning streak to six games while Minnesota has won three of their last four games.

Your starting goalies for Game 2 saw a change for Minnesota. Nicole Hensley (0-1-0, 4.00 GAA, 800%) stepped in net to replace Maddis Rooney. For Boston, it was still Arerin Frankel (4-0-0, 1.37 GAA, 991%). For the first fourteen-plus minutes of the first period, both teams went up and down the ice with not much going on. However, that changed at the 14:25 mark. Minnesota struck first as Michela Cava scored off a 2-on-1 rush down the right wing, Her intended cross-ice pass to Coyne Schofield was deflected by Megan Keller and passed Frankel. 1-0 Minnesota. The assist went to Melissa Channel who took the puck away from Boston’s Alina Muller inside the Minnesota zone on the right point and started the breakout. The goal for Cava was her second of the playoffs.

Minnesota added to their lead at 2-0 at the 16:21 mark on a goal by Sophia Jaques who ripped off a shot from the right faceoff circle. The goal was her first of the postseason and was assisted by Liz Schepers and Claire Butorac. Boston dug themselves an early hole to climb out of. The first period ended with Minnesota leading 2-0. Shots were 7-7.

The second period started five-on-five. PWHL Minnesota did have a power play chance in the first that did not mount to anything. PWHL Boston had a goal disallowed because the referee blew his whistle to stop play. As the game reached the halfway mark, that near goal was as close as PWHl Boston got. At the 14:20 mark of the period, PWHl Boston went on the power play for the first time in the game. PWHL Minnesota’s Natalie Buchbinder went off for interference. The power play, which was 1-31 on the year, put only one shot on goal. After Sunday’s win, coach Kessel called her power play “terrible.” PWHL Boston got another crack at it when Emma Greco went off for hooking at 18:23. The period came to an end with 23 seconds left on the person advantage. Shots through two periods were PWHL Minnesota 6 (13 through two) and PWHL Boston 5 (12 through two). Shots and space were hard to come by in the first forty minutes of the game.

The third period began with PWHL Boston on the power play for 23 seconds. The seconds came off the clock with no goal scored. PWHL Boston had work to do and eighteen minutes to get it done. They would get some help when PWHL Minnesota was called for a minor penalty at 6:32 when Brittvn Fleming went off for tripping. PWHL Boston needed one here. Instead, all they got was two shots on net, both by Hilary Knight. The power play was now 0-3 and for the year at home 1-34. Things got a whole lot worse for PWHL Boston when Jessica Digirolamo received a minor penalty for charging at 9:53. PWHL Minnesota had chances but did not extend the lead. PWHL Boston now had eight minutes left to change the narrative.

Boston got one more power play chance as Clair DeGeorge went off for tripping at 15:04. Would this be the PP that would trigger something? While the puck movement was better the results were not. Boston pulled Frankel (20 saves on 23 shots) with 2:46 left. PWHL Minnesota put one into the empty net to make it a 3-0 game. Sophie Jaques scored her second of the game and the postseason at 17;31. Game 2 goes to PWHL Minnesota 3-0. The series is now even at a game apiece.

PWHL Minnesota head coach Ken Klee was asked about the change in netminders. He said, “We have two great goaltenders we have used as rotation all year long.” Hensley posted a shutout making 20 saves. Sophie Jaques talked about “having a lot of fun going up against her old team in PWHL Boston.” She also pointed out “how excited we are to go home tied 1-1 in the series.”

For PWHL Boston head coach Courtney Kessel, the power play continues to be a sore spot. She said, “something has to change or it will be the death of us.” 1-34 at home makes that point. The captain, Hilary Knight, thought the team “did not play a bad game.” Kaleigh Fratkin said “We know this would be tough” In the end “This will be a battle”.

Game 3 of the series will be Friday night in Minnesota.