Boston had their heads held high after an electric overtime win on Sunday. A few days later, they find themselves in an important game in Minnesota. They were tied for the last playoff spot with Ottawa, and more points were desperately needed. From the start of the game, neither team could put the puck in the back of the nets, and that was until the final couple minutes of the first period. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield gets one behind Aerin Frankel to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead.
The second period was a messy one. About five minutes into the period, there was some miscommunication on Boston’s end, which led to a turnover in their zone, allowing Michela Cava to get her second PWHL goal to give Minnesota the 2-0 lead. The lack of the on-ice chemistry between the Boston players showed during this period.
We come to the third and final period, and Minnesota is still up 2-0. This period was a tense one, Boston managed to get eight shots on goal, while Minnesota got 13 shots on goal. A lot was on the line during this period. It was a lot of back and forth until Grace Zumwinkle got herself on the board with her eighth of the season, giving Minnesota a 3-0 lead with six minutes left to play. Boston desperately needed to get on the board, in an attempt to do so, Aerin Frankel went to the bench with 4 minutes left to go. As the time on the clock winded down, Taylor Heise got the puck in the back of the net to secure the regulation win with a couple of minutes left to play. With a final score of 0-4 Minnesota, Boston officially lost their playoff spot.
Saturday will be a huge game for both Ottawa and Boston. A win from either team will give them a commanding lead. Based on how Boston has been playing so far, they cannot get too far behind.
The takeover series begins in Detroit, Michigan, at Little Caesar’s Arena. Puck drop is at 6:00 PM EST.
Nicole Hensley gets her first PWHL shutout Wednesday night against Boston, final score of 0-4. -Boston.com
