In the first game of the Walter Cup Final for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) between Minnesota and Boston, the latter won a tight 4-3 matchup on their home ice. Now two wins away from being the ultimate champion, Boston is in a great spot. What were some takeaways for both clubs?
Boston’s Forecheck Takes Over
While Minnesota’s goals came from more skillful maneuvers, Boston got their offense through their relentless forechecking. All four of their goals were initiated by turnovers from Minnesota in their defensive zone, of course, caused by this right-in-your-face offense. They didn’t exactly struggle with clearing pucks, but in some instances, they were almost too cautious with getting the puck out of the zone. Boston made them pay on the scoreboard.
Boston had the more aggressive offense, and that really made a difference. They didn’t exactly score the prettiest of goals, but they were relentless in their responses to Minnesota’s goals; they were down on the scoreboard for just over seven minutes despite trailing 1-0 and 2-1. Once Minnesota’s leads vanished, Boston’s forecheck was the biggest contributor to offense.
Now with a 4-0 record in the postseason, Boston is humming. They haven’t won a single playoff game by more than a goal, but they have proven to be excellent at winning tight games. It didn’t look like they would do so in this one based on them not generating as many quality looks as Minnesota, but they made their chances count.
Heise Finally Reaching the Next Level
In her last two games, center Taylor Heise has been the difference for Minnesota. For starters, she had two goals in Game 5 against Toronto on May 17, a game in which her team won 4-1. Those were her first and second points of the postseason — she didn’t have a notable impact before then. Since that point, things have only gone up for her.
Against Boston, Heise was easily the best player on the ice. When she was out there, Minnesota was getting the best of the chances. Her line with Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava was absolutely sensational, contributing toward each one of Minnesota’s tallies. Heise herself had two goals and a beautiful primary assist, but it wasn’t enough to get the win in the end.
The good news for Minnesota is that their best player surpassed anybody else on the ice by a landslide. Heise’s sheer presence made a difference at all times versus Boston, but that wasn’t too noticeable until recently. Her superstar status showed its face on the absolute biggest stage. Just 24 years old, she could be one of the big faces of the PWHL for years to come.
While that is great and all, the rest of the team has to be better. Only her line was showing up offensively, and the rest of the group were the ones getting beat in the defensive zone, as well. Minnesota is a deep team; they have to play like it to win in this series. If they’re a one-line team, we’re looking at a potential sweep.
Could Hensley Start in Game 2?
While goaltender Maddie Rooney certainly can’t be blamed for Minnesota’s loss, it wasn’t exactly her best showing. Allowing four goals on 22 shots and giving up a couple of stinkers in the process, one has to wonder if her crease will be taken away by head coach Ken Klee. It wasn’t hers to begin the playoffs, but she ran away with it after a rough start for her partner in crime.
Perhaps reacting to one game so harshly would be a bit much, but it’s not like Nicole Hensley isn’t fit for the starting job. She had a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.19 goals-against average (GAA) in the regular season to Rooney’s .915 SV% and 2.08 GAA. They were both some of the best netminders in the PWHL numbers-wise early on, but as Minnesota’s play took a hit, so did their goaltending.
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While both of them had average numbers in the regular season, finishing just 8th and 10th out of 13 PWHL netminders in SV%, their upsides are still very high. Hensley would be a viable option for Game 2, especially since she led her team in starts with 14 for the regular season. She can handle a full-series workload, so it’ll be interesting to see if a switch is made. Minnesota can’t afford to trail another series 2-0 — it’s hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
Game 2 between these clubs will commence on Tuesday, May 21 in Boston once again. With a chance to put Minnesota in an elimination scenario for the rest of the series with a victory, Boston will want to go all out to get it done. As for their foes, they can change the trajectory of the series with a win of their own, as they’d be tied 1-1 with home-ice advantage for their next two contests. It’ll be a must-watch game.
