Written by Laura Everett and edited by Abbi Holt
This was not the game that anyone expected.
This was likely not the Finals that anyone in the PWHL leadership likely expected. None of the Canadian teams made it through in this deliberately binational league. And neither of the top two regular season teams in Toronto or Montreal made the playoffs.
But this is an entirely new league, and everything is new these playoffs. The playoff format is new. Checking against the boards is new. The “jailbreak” penalty rule is new. Even the placecards in front of the players at the press conference were new from the Playoffs to the Finals, with someone noticing that the prior cursive font was not easy to read.
Coming into the Finals, PWHL Boston swept Montreal and earned home ice advantage. Minnesota accomplished the “reverse sweep,” by coming back from 0-2 to take the series from Toronto. Each of these teams entered the Finals on a three-game win streak.
Apparently though, no one told two of the top goalkeepers in the league, and two US Women’s National Hockey team goalies that this would be a defensive battle. And it wasn’t. Boston won 4-3, managing not to go into overtime for the first time in four games.
This is not the game anyone expected.
Perhaps except Coach Courtney Kessel.
“Our plan was not to change our game plan,” Coach Kessel said after the game.
Boston’s story this season has been one of waiting, sometimes with more patience, sometimes with less, for this team to come together.
This team didn’t panic. Didn’t falter.
Asked about how she cultivated this trust with her players, Coach Kessel reflected all the way back to the start of the season, “It started in November in our first opening meeting. It’s all about being a family. About this place feeling safe, showing up and being who you want to be. You work hard, and you’re going to have bad days, and you’re going to have worse days and you’re going to have great days. But knowing that you have twenty six sisters to lean on. That’s why we all play this team sport, because you get to show up and play for something bigger than yourself and that’s everyone in our locker room. Here we are reiterating that message from day one.”
Though Coach Kessel made it clear also that the game plan was decidedly not to start the game with a penalty call 0:10 into the first period, as Defender Megan Keller was called for interference.
The home crowd loved it. The coach did not.
When asked after the game by Stanley Cup of Chowder about how to stop a slow start to the series, Kessel said “Well hopefully, we don’t start on the PK (penalty kill) within 8 seconds of the game. We gotta get pucks deep, we gotta move our feet.”
After Boston killed the early penalty, Minnesota’s sustained offensive press finally broke through with a goal finally coming from Michela Cava at 4:38. Boston answered shortly thereafter with a quick goal from playoff superstar Susanna Tapani just two minutes later, with Emily Brown and Megan Keller on the assists. The period ended even at 1-1.
The second period was an offensive onslaught of five total goals from both sides, but only 17 total shots taken, with 10 from Minnesota and 7 from Boston. As Hannah Brandt said afterwards, “We got into the locker room, and someone was like ‘what’s the score even right now?’”
First their Taylor (Heise) scored at 8:04, then our Taylor (Wenczkowski) scored at 12:50. Wenczkowski, who played 16 games in the regular season and did not produce any goals in that stretch, but now in the playoffs has scored twice. Again, Boston is coming together at an opportune time.
What we didn’t know until the press conference after, and Hannah Brandt so generously informed us, was that Wenczkowski scored with Brandt’s stick, and she would like credit for an assist (though the league has given it to Gigi Marvin, who really was willing the puck into the scoring area).
According to Brandt, “She dropped it, and our equipment manager Jeff got her a stick quick, but not quick enough. And I knew she was a righty, so I threw mine out. I was like ‘this is going to be hilarious if she scores with this.’ and I think the next shift is when I scored.”
And yes, Brandt did score on the next shift, just over two minutes later, on the line with Amanda Pelkey and Hillary Knight. Defenders Emily Brown and Megan Keller would get the assists. And Brandt would get a hot stick, with which she vowed to use in the next game.
Boston was up 3-2 for not even two minutes before their Taylor tied it up again. Heise snuck it in the back door past the brick wall of Frankel. To be clear, Heise is going to be a problem in this series.
But fifteen seconds later, before anyone even seemed to regroup or refocus, defender Jess Healey scored her unassisted goal. Healey had one prior goal in 22 games of the regular season. She shoots from all the way back at the blue line, and her precision from that distance is remarkable. Minnesota’s goalie Rooney had been crouching low, but stands back up and reaches with her gloved hand, but the puck is out of reach.
It’s a bold shot to take, but one that players who trust in the process, their teammates and their coach are willing to try.
After the game, Jess Healey said “They tried to chip it out, and I threw it on net. I think I got a little lucky off of someone’s stick there. I guess it doesn’t matter as long as it makes it to the net. Sometimes, those go in.”
That willingness to try, to risk, to test your luck, to believe that fortune, and momentum is on your side feels new with this Boston team. It’s a willingness to skate again with mixed lines, to trust the process, to believe you might just be able to win.
The third period saw none of the scoring chaos of the second. Coach Kessel said of holding the 4-3 lead into the third period, “We didn’t go into defensive mode. I think, If you play scared to lose, it doesn’t end well. We continue to stick to our game plan.”
The game plan likely did not include two penalties, including a delay of game issued to the bench at 2:28 and then a tripping call to Kaleigh Fratkin at 11:22. Fratkin is established in her penalty work, with 26 minutes served across the regular season. Her next closest team mates are defenders are Emily Brown and Megan Keller with only twelve minutes each. Fratkin is well on her way of establishing herself as the Katie McCabe of the PWHL.
When Boston was assessed the penalty for delay of game, the crowd began chanting “jailbreak.” For the record, we whole-heartedly endorse the people’s call for liberation.
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Remarkably, the defense held, and no more scoring occurred. With 1:35 left in the third period, Minnesota pulled their goalie and played with six on offense. Boston withstood the onslaught.
Reflecting after the game, defender Jess Healey “We brought ourselves back from the dead. We were in a position where we might not even make the playoffs. We proved a lot of people wrong.”
This game featured the two strongest goalies in the league. In the regular season, Boston’s Aerin Frankel has 2.00 GAA (Goals Against Average), and Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney has 2.08 GAA. In the playoffs thus far, Rooney is faring slightly better, with a GAA of 1.12 over her 5 games played, as opposed to Frankel’s 1.37 over 4 games.
And yet, the first ever PWHL Finals was not that low scoring game of a defensive standoff. Instead, it was a shooting clinic, and fans weren’t complaining.
As they have, so often this season, Boston seems to enjoy proving expectations wrong.
Upcoming Games:
Boston hosts Minnesota again on Tuesday May 21 at Tsongas Arena at 7pm, entering PWHL Finals Game 2 with a 1-0 lead. This is a five game series, if necessary, with three wins needed to take home the PWHL’s “Walter Cup.” Tickets are available here. You should be able to view the game on NESN, or on the PHWL’s YouTube channel.
Game 3 will be Friday May 24 at 7pm EST in Minnesota, and Game 4 Sunday May 26 6pm EST in Minnesota, if necessary. If a Game 5 is required, it will return to Lowell on Wednesday May 29 at 7pm EST.
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