The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) had a doozy between Toronto and Minnesota. A game that surely looked like it was going to have a regulation win for Toronto went to overtime with a goal in the dying seconds of regulation, but they won it in the extra frame anyway, 4-3. What were some takeaways from the exciting matchup?
Dueling Two-Goal Games
In an unlikely ending, this game ended up being a Sarah Nurse versus Sophie Jaques showdown. They each had a goal entering the final minute of the third period, but Jaques, a defenseman, came up clutch with a rocket from the point down 3-2 with just 21.1 seconds showing on the clock to even the game up. This helped force overtime and give Minnesota at least one point instead of zero, turning a three-point Toronto effort into two at best thanks to non-regulation wins lessening win power.
In the end, however, Nurse got the last laugh with a strange goal to beat Minnesota netminder Nicole Hensley and win the game for Toronto 4-3. Her shot went off a stick, completely changing the direction of the shot and putting it into the net. It was a lucky bounce, especially for a 3-on-3 overtime where there’s so much more ice to prevent wacky goals like that from happening, but it got Toronto the win nonetheless.
It would have been a great story if Minnesota won that game after sacrificing a late goal of their own in the third period to go down 3-2, but Toronto did a fantastic job of rebounding. The momentum could have really hurt them, but they were the better team in overtime and earned the win they got. When you have the puck and are shooting it, bounces will happen. They were lucky because they were good in that instance. Both Jaques and Nurse were spectacular, but the former was the victor.
Toronto Chasing First Place
It didn’t seem like it would be a possibility early in the season, but Toronto looks poised to compete for first place in the PWHL by the end of the season. Just three points behind (or a regulation win) Montreal for first place with 11 games remaining for both of them, it might be a tight race. And with how good Toronto has looked recently, there’s a real chance they take it over quite soon. They’re in third place now, but things could change fast.
Of course, it was too early to call the season a lost cause for Toronto, but a 1-4-0 record in their first five games was rough. They looked to be competing to be the worst team in the league but will overtake Minnesota for second place if they win their next game in any fashion. Separated by just one point with Toronto having a game in hand, the tables have turned pretty fast.
For a while, it looked like Minnesota was the best team in the PWHL. But Toronto has made a case for themselves. They’re riding a hot offense and brilliant goaltending from Kristen Campbell. Everything is going right, and it seems like less of a run and more of a “they’re for real” than anything. Toronto has been fun to watch these last few weeks.
Minnesota Could Be in Trouble Without Heise
Minnesota has been without superstar forward Taylor Heise for a little bit now, and they got bad news recently. She’s on long-term injured reserve, and that’s been devastating for Minnesota. They will miss her presence very much, and it’s starting to show in the standings. Without her on the ice, Minnesota will lose games more than they did with her. That much is all but a guarantee. Unfortunately, it could be so bad that their playoff hopes could be in jeopardy. They’ll have to find it in themselves to bounce back before that happens.
Four of the six PWHL teams make the playoffs, so Minnesota probably doesn’t have too much to worry about. With a roster as good as theirs, they should be fine. But nothing is certain at this time. They weren’t bad by any means in this game, but they’ll need each and every player to step up in Heise’s absence. She wasn’t their best scorer in terms of points, but her impact is always felt.
Again, Minnesota has a very good roster. At this point, it still seems likely that they’ll make the playoffs, especially with them running into a really good Toronto team, but the losses will start to affect them more. They can sacrifice standing power as long as they make the playoffs. Every team in the PWHL is good, and there are no easy games.
Related: PWHL Halfway Point: Milestones & Progress
Next up, Toronto will visit Ottawa on March 2 to try and overtake Minnesota for the first time this season with a win. As for Minnesota, they’ll try to get back on track with a road matchup with New York on March 3. On a three-game losing streak, they’ll be looking to change the direction of their season.