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With the season winding down to a precious few games, the Toronto Sceptres and Boston Fleet played at Tsongas Center on Saturday afternoon before a matinee crowd of 5,619. The game had importance for both teams. For Toronto, they had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a single point. A regulation win would give them a top-two seed and home ice in the semi-finals of the playoffs. For Boston, it was about making the playoffs; a regulation win would go a long way toward that happening. It would also snap a three-game losing streak in the process.
The Fleet was also a banged-up hockey team with forwards Alina Muller and Amanda Pelkey placed on long-term injured reserve, and Jiilian Dempsey was put on the reserve player list. Forwards Kelly Babstaock and Hadley Hartmetz were called up from the reserve player list. Forward Hannah Bilka was activated from the long-term injured list. She has been out since Jan.31 with a lower-body injury.
Also missing from Saturday’s game was starting goalie Arein Frankel, out with a concussion. Saturday’s game was about the next person up for the Fleet. In the first period, that is exactly what head coach Courtney Kessell received. Two goals in the first twelve minutes of the first period got the Tsongas Center crowd jumping. At 2:35, Lexie Adzija got her second of the season from Jamie Lee Rattray, putting Boston up 1-0. Rattray had a nice pass from behind the Toronto net from Adzija in front, and she made no mistake with the puck, beating Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell. At 11:47, they made it 2-0 on a goal from Hannah Brandt, her second of the year, from Magan Keller and Hannah Bilka. Again, net presence was the key to this goal, with Brandt in front being a problem for Campbell (five saves on seven shots) before she scored.
Solid goaltending from Klára Peslarová (nine saves) kept Toronto off the board in the period, and the Fleet went to the locker room up 2-0. The second period, for the most part, was quiet. Toward the end of the period, the Fleet went on the power play for the fourth time in the game. Number four paid off with a power play goal to make it 3-0, Fleet. Theresa Shafzahl, off a feed from Rattray (2 assists), broke in on the left side and beat Campbell (15 shots, 12 saves) for her third of the season at 19:54. Laren Gabel also assisted on the goal. The power play goal was Boston’s 14th of the year and the seventh at home. After two, it was looking good for Boston as they left the ice up 3-0. Shots were 19-13 Toronto.
With a 3-0 lead in the third, the Fleet’s number one priority was to keep the foot on the pedal and pick up an important regulation win. In grand fashion, the Fleet took care of business in the third. A 3-0 shutout over Toronto. Peslarová had 29 saves for her first shutout in the PWHL. Toronto outshot the Fleet 10-2 in the third, and 29-15 for the game.
Toronto head coach Torey Ryan was not a fan of his team’s offensive game on Saturday. He thought his team “Did not create traffic in front of the net.” It was too easy for Peslarová to see what was coming and make saves. He was also not happy with his team not taking advantage of an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot and possible home ice in the first round. Boston’s Courtney Kessell thought, “All four lines were going.” She liked her team’s start, with a two-goal first period. Hannah Bilka thought “it was awesome being back on the ice.” She kept up with her teammates and the whole staff by staying involved with the team. She also mentioned ” How much she learned about the game while watching it from upstairs.” Peslarová credited “Eggs Benedict” as the pre-game meal of choice. She also said, “I had been waiting for this opportunity all season long.”
Two games left in the regular season for the Fleet. Their final road game of the season is Monday night in Montreal before they end the season at home next Saturday vs Minnesota.
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