PWHL Boston continued to struggle offensively while Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield powered Minnesota to a 4-0 win.
PWHL Boston continued to struggle offensively while Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield powered Minnesota to a 4-0 win.
PWHL Minnesota got revenge over Boston Wednesday night, prevailing with a 4-0 victory at the Xcel Energy Center after getting shut out nearly three weeks prior by the Massachusetts squad.
Nicole Hensley earned her first career PWHL shutout with 20 saves, while Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield’s two-point nights gave Minnesota the offensive edge.
Minnesota opened the scoring in the dying minutes of the first period. Natalie Buchbinder fed Heise down in the right corner. The 2023 PWHL first-overall pick nutmegged the Boston defender, sending a slick pass over to captain Coyne Schofield, who was open in the slot. Coyne made no mistake burying it past Aerin Frankel for her fifth of the season and Minnesota’s first of the contest.
Minnesota carried their single-digit lead into the second, while Boston won the shot battle 7-5.
The second frame featured more back-and-forth play, but it was Michela Cava who banked it past Frankel to extend her team’s lead to two.
Sophie Jaques’ point shot hit off the boards and popped out just below the goal line. In a flash, Cava shrewdly banked the puck off of Frankel and into the net — her second of the season and Minnesota’s second of the game.
Ex-Minnesota forward Susanna Tapani took a holding penalty with less than a minute to go. After 35 seconds of successful penalty killing, the teams went to the second intermission, leaving Minnesota with 1:25 remaining with the player advantage to kick off the third.
Minnesota failed to execute with the remaining time on their opening third-period power play, but a second opportunity came with six minutes remaining in the game.
Jessica Digirolamo’s kneeing penalty sent Minnesota to another two-minute player advantage. On the ensuing chance, Minnesota managed to put the game away.
Maggie Flaherty sent a pass to Grace Zumwinkle, and the Excelsior, Minn., native unleashed a rocket past Frankel. Minnesota’s third of the game, Zumwinkle’s team-leading eighth, finished Boston’s chances.
Heise capped off the night by floating a shot into Boston’s empty net from behind Minnesota’s blue line, scoring her first goal since Jan. 10. Hensley finished with 20 saves and earned her first PWHL shutout as
Minnesota moved into a three-way tie for first in the league with Montreal and Toronto.
A New Power Play Goal Scorer
For the first time this season, someone not named Susanna Tapani or Abby Boreen potted a goal on the power play. Zumwinkle’s blistering one-timer beat Frankel and iced the game on Saturday.
Minnesota’s power play is one of the only negatives persisting this late into the PWHL season for the team. Now rocking a 9.8% success rate — or 4/42 — perhaps fans can anticipate more power play markers with Heise heating up and Jaques’ offensive skillset continuing to generate chances.
Hensley Shuts the Door
As surprising as it is, Saturday served as Hensley’s first shutout this season. The Littleton, Colo., native is one of the league’s best at tending the crease and proved it once again against Boston.
Hensley has eight games this season where she’s recorded two goals against or less, including five where only one, or none, got by her. Her 1.79 goals-against average and .935 save percentage puts her in the top three in either stat for goalies PWHL-wide.
Hensley’s proven she can steal periods and games. Assuming Minnesota maintains its winning ways, State of Hockey fans will soon find out if Hensley’s stealing ability extends to playoff games or series in May.
Minnesota returns to PWHL action on Saturday as they search for their fourth consecutive win against sixth-place New York at the Xcel Energy Center. Puck drop is at 2:30 p.m. CDT, 3:30 p.m. EDT.