PWHL Minnesota Falls to Boston in Double OT Despite Odds – Hockey Writers – PWHL

PWHL Minnesota was looking to make history and take home the first ever Walter Cup as they took on PWHL Boston in Game 4 of the PWHL Finals in St. Paul on the same day as general manager Natalie Darwitz was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. . They were at home in front of a huge crowd of 13,104, and it was clear that the excitement was driving them. Despite plenty of action and big hitting, the first half remained scoreless as both strikers were on top of everything.

The second half was more intense due to physicality and chances, but again, both strikers came to play and stopped everything that came their way, and the second half ended scoreless. It was the same story until the third season; again, there were many chances, but the puck didn’t go into the net, and extra time was needed.

The first overtime wasn’t enough to crack either goalkeeper, so a second overtime frame was called for. The second overtime period is when chaos erupts. PWHL Minnesota had what looked like a goal, but it was disallowed due to interference from the strikers. Following that call, PWHL Boston stormed the other end and scored, ending PWHL Minnesota’s night. It was all about goals and defense, which is where we will start.

PWHL Minnesota’s Hensley & Defense Step Up Again

Once again, it was all about guarding the goals. Deciding the winner took almost five full periods because both goal scorers stopped everything. PWHL Minnesota’s Nicole Hensley stood on her head to keep her team tied multiple times. The last goal that won PWHL Boston was not his fault. The gun came so fast that he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

However, Hensley didn’t do it alone. His defense was good in front of him, and they blocked shot after shot, even putting their bodies full to make it impossible for PWHL Boston to get through. They work well together; unfortunately, it didn’t go their way this time, but if they continue to work hard, they will turn it back in their favor.

“I don’t think it’s just a night; it’s been a whole year. I mean, you look at the strikers in the league and the regular season, you look at our last series against Toronto, you look at their (Boston) series against Montreal, you don’t see high-scoring games so you have to expect that, you have to be ready and not drop anything but this league is obviously the most competitive league in the world and the scorers they’re amazing all over the league so I don’t think it’s shocking by any means.” Kendall Coyne-Schofield said in their post-game press conference when asked about the Game 4 oversight.

PWHL Minnesota Had Chances

PWHL Minnesota had no scoring opportunities. They hit the pipe several times and almost missed an even more open net. They had good attacking opportunities, and were able to move the puck around a bit, looking for open teammates, which created strong chances. However, PWHL Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel was just as good as Hensley.

The top line of Coyne-Schofield, Taylor Heise, and Michela Cava had better chances, but missed. Their line was fast and moving constantly, but they couldn’t get through. For some reason, they weren’t shooting as confidently as they were in Game 3. They’ll have to figure that out before Game 5 in Boston. Wednesday evening.

PWHL Minnesota’s Power Play Is Lacking

PWHL Minnesota had one or two games where their power play was successful, and Game 4 was not one. They had five power play games and couldn’t score in one of them because they fell into their old habit of passing more times instead of shooting. By the time they got their guns, Frankel was primed and ready to stop you.

In Game 5, PWHL Minnesota must get their power play going or start shooting more if they can. If they don’t shoot, they can’t score and obviously they won’t win the game. They need to get back to the basics: win the faceoff and get back to their defender in the zone and take the shot. It’s simple but effective when done right.

Related: PWHL Minnesota Leans on Top Line to Take Series Lead vs. Boston

“We have to keep putting pucks in the net; I think we hit like four posts and a half inch from each one or the other, and those were in the net, so we had a good look, their power play had a good look too so it was an interesting game, it was just a game. a matter of centimeters. I think the whole game was like, you know, for us, it’s just the one that hurts, but we’ll have to reschedule and we’ll have tomorrow off, and then we’ll go to Boston and get ready. to Wednesday,” said Klee when asked about the number of opportunities in the playoffs.

PWHL Season Ends

It all comes down to Wednesday night, May 29, for the PWHL’s inaugural season to come to a close with the awarding of the Walter Cup. Both teams have a strong chance to win it, and while it will be difficult for PWHL Minnesota to do it on the road, they have won on the road in Boston once already. They have the tools to do so, and if they can put the game together like they did in Game 3, they will be able to pull it off. Hopefully, they can still bring the Walter Cup back to Minnesota.