Entering Monday’s (Feb. 19) Professional Women’s Hockey League game between PWHL Boston and PWHL Ottawa, one team was guaranteed to end its losing streak while the other’s was bound to continue. Two goals from Gabbie Hughes, including the game-winner, gave us the answer as Ottawa earned a 4-2 victory over Boston.
Ottawa’s Hughes Scores Twice
A two-on-one rush in the first period led to Ottawa’s first goal of the game. Daryl Watts slipped into the zone between two Boston defenders. She sent the puck over to Brianne Jenner on the right, who sent it right back to Watts. It was a simple tap-in from there, and Ottawa was out front 1-0.
Tied 1-1 in the second frame, Gabbie Hughes notched her first of two goals. Savannah Harmon started the breakout and sent it to Emily Clark on the left wing. Clark skated to the bottom of the face-off circle and threw the puck on goal. Boston netminder Aerin Frankel gave up a juicy rebound that Hughes found but, instead of shooting right away, she stayed patient. That patience paid off as Frankel scrambled to recover from the rebound and slid out of the crease. Hughes had nearly the whole net to shoot at and buried it to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead.
Clark and Hughes connected again late in the second. The game was tied 2-2 with under 20 seconds left in the period when Clark picked the pocket of a Boston defender near the goal line. She whirled around and brought it to the side of the net, attempting to put it on Frankel. The puck instead squeaked through a Boston defender and onto the stick of Hughes in the slot. She fell as she shot, but the puck was still perfectly placed – top left corner – and Ottawa had a 3-2 lead entering the third. It was Hughes’ second multi-goal game of the season.
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Better yet, Ottawa was shorthanded, giving way to the PWHL’s coveted jailbreak goal (where a shorthanded goal ends the other team’s power play).
Cook Scores Her First, Keller Records Two Assists
The highlight of the night for Boston fans was Abby Cook scoring her first goal as a member of the team since being acquired in the Sophie Jaques trade. Boston’s Hilary Knight sent the puck up the left boards to Megan Keller at the point. Keller picked it up and sent it across the blue line to Cook. After settling it on her stick, she let go of a wrist shot with three Boston bodies in front of the net – plus an Ottawa player. The screen made it nearly impossible for Ottawa netminder Emerance Maschmeyer to track the puck as it whizzed by her. Boston had tied it up 2-2.
Keller’s play was also a highlight, now possibly being the most consistent player on Boston’s roster on both ends of the ice. In addition to her staunch defensive play, Keller potted two helpers against Ottawa on Monday. In 10 games, Keller has only been left off the scoresheet three times, notching a total of three goals and six assists this season.
Hughes, of course, then made it 3-2. Brianne Jenner sealed the deal with an empty netter with 44 seconds to spare, and Boston fans left Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass. with another loss on their shoulders.
A Boston & Ottawa Double-Date
While the loss marks Boston’s fourth-straight, they have a chance for payback on Wednesday (Feb. 21) when the two teams square off again.
Boston will be anxiously anticipating their offensive stars to get on the scoresheet: Alina Müller hasn’t registered a point in the month of February, Gabel’s assist on Monday was just her first point of the month, and Knight’s assist was just her third point of the season.
Meanwhile, Ottawa’s goalscorers came alive on Monday: Clark now holds the team lead in points (seven) and assists (five); Hughes is second on the team in goals (four) and Savannah Harmon leads Ottawa defenders in points (six) and goals (two).
The losing streak has sent Boston spiralling down to the bottom of the standings while Ottawa now finds themselves tied with PWHL New York for fourth place.