Hannah Brandt scored with three seconds remaining to live Boston to a regulation win, keeping their PWHL playoff hopes alive.
Late-game heroics from Hannah Brandt kept PWHL Boston’s playoff hopes alive as it defeated Minnesota 2-1 Saturday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center.
Minnesota failed to clinch a postseason berth in its final home game of the regular season despite a 28-save performance from Nicole Hensley.
Kaleigh Fratkin took her first of two penalties early in the opening frame, and despite heavy offensive pressure from the home team, the game remained scoreless after one.
Fratkin’s second penalty came minutes into the second, but Boston’s penalty kill kept Minnesota’s special teams off the scoreboard.
Minnesota controlled the play throughout the second period, out-chancing Boston 4-0 through the first 14 minutes. Eventually, all this momentum became too much for the visiting team to bear.
Kendall Coyne Schofield fired a shot from the top of the hash marks with traffic in front of the net. Kelly Pannek parked above the paint and got her stick on the rebound. She buried a backhander past Emma Söderberg, notching her fourth of the season and opening the scoring with 1:10 remaining in the middle frame.
Denisa Křížová opened the third period with a tripping penalty, giving Boston’s power play their first chance of the game.
On the ensuing opportunity, Boston’s leading scorer managed to net the equalizer. Megan Keller fed a wide-open Alina Müller at the left faceoff dot, whose wrist shot found its way past Hensley to the dismay of the Minnesota fans in attendance.
After an additional power play opportunity was fended off by either side, a Minnesota-born hero emerged in the dying moments of regulation to claim victory.
With seconds to spare, Knight found a streaking Brandt, who potted a buzzer-beater past Hensley. The Vadnais Heights, Minn., product’s goal prevented Minnesota and Ottawa from clinching a playoff spot while keeping Boston alive in the postseason hunt.
Power Play Woes
Like most games throughout the PWHL’s inaugural season, Minnesota failed to convert on their power play opportunities. Despite getting three cracks at it, including one with under four minutes remaining in a tied game, Minnesota’s special teams could not beat Söderberg.
As the postseason nears, it is easy to wonder whether Minnesota, whose penalty kill ranks dead last in the PWHL and power play falls second-last, will be the undoing of what is a talented roster with stellar goaltending.
Home Ice Advantage?
Minnesota’s odds to begin the postseason with home ice grows dimmer following their 2-1 loss to Boston. Minnesota remains third in the overall standings with 35 points and two games remaining. Montreal, who sits first — 41 points in 23 games — and Toronto, second, with 38 points in 21 — sit firmly above them.
Granted, the State of Hockey team has yet to clinch a playoff berth. Pending an epic collapse, Minnesota will likely slot into the three-seed, barring it from surpassing Toronto or being usurped by Ottawa, Boston, or both.
Minnesota heads north of the border to face off against Toronto at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Wednesday. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. CT.