Minnesota had to erase a 2-0 deficit before beating Montreal in a shootout, with Grace Zumwinkle scoring twice in the shootout for victory.
Minnesota had to erase a 2-0 deficit before beating Montreal in a shootout, with Grace Zumwinkle scoring twice in the shootout for victory.
PWHL Minnesota extended their winning streak to five games with a 3-2 shootout victory over Montreal at the Xcel Energy Center Sunday afternoon.
Lee Stecklein notched her second of the season, Nicole Hensley made 21 saves, and Grace Zumwinkle tallied two goals in the shootout to lift her team past third-place Montreal.
Kati Tabin opened the scoring with her first PWHL goal. After a point shot and subsequent rebound chance from Montreal, the puck sprung out to Tabin, who poked it past Hensley to give her team the lead.
Amanda Boulier showed why Montreal traded Tereza Vanišová for her moments later. Taylor Heise and Michela Cava flew into Montreal's defensive zone on a two-on-one. Heise attempted to send it back to Cava for an easy tap-in, but Boulier's active stick deflected the puck away from danger.
Sophia Kunin lost an edge at her blue line, allowing Montreal to double their lead. Gabrielle David picked up the loose puck and fed Maureen Murphy in close, who put Montreal up 2-0.
Despite controlling the game following Montreal's two-goal outburst and outshooting their opponents 15-5 after 20 minutes, Minnesota entered the first intermission trailing 2-0.
After killing off an early Montreal power play, Minnesota's blue line erupted in the middle frame.
After a give-and-go with her defense partner, Natalie Buchbinder was left alone at the blue line. The 25-year-old ripped a shot on net, and the puck hopped past Elaine Chuli following a lucky bounce off a Montreal defender.
Twenty-four seconds later, Lee Stecklein walked in past the top of the left hashmark, dropped Murphy to her feet with a slick toe-drag and tied the game at two.
Stecklein sought her second point of the afternoon. She directed a shot toward Chuli, and Cava managed to deflect it past the Waterford, Ont., native. However, after a video review, the referees called the goal back because Cava's stick touched the puck above the crossbar.
“We know they're a good team and we know they're going to push hard and they did — so it was good for us to hang in there and stick with it," said Minnesota head coach Ken Klee. "I think it was kind of a pivotal thing for us because it solidified that we're going to be a tough team to contend with because we have multiple weapons and multiple players that contribute every game.”
Both sides continued to rack up shots and chances in the second half of the period, but Chuli and Hensley stood tall.
Minnesota and Montreal pushed for the regulation win in the third period.
Minnesota got quality chances, but it felt a goal was inevitable for Montreal.
Murphy hit a post, Sarah Lefort got a breakaway, and Montreal managed to get a rare three-on-zero chance, but Hensley denied the visiting squad time and time again.
The game remained tied at two at the end of regulation. After neither team found the back of the net in overtime, the game needed a shootout to decide a winner.
Zumwinkle scored first in the shootout's third round, but Erin Ambrose responded with a tally immediately.
After being held pointless all game, Heise finally put one past Chuli with a nifty backhander. Kori Cheverie returned to Ambrose in round four, but Hensley stopped her attempt.
Zumwinkle got another chance in the fifth round and won the game by scoring her second shootout goal in as many tries.
Minnesota's 3-2 shootout victory over Montreal brings them within one point of Toronto for first in the PWHL while providing a four-point cushion between them and the third-place Quebec squad.
Hensley Comes up Clutch
Hensley shook off a rough start by being the primary reason Minnesota made it to overtime. While the home team dominated the second half of the first period and looked lethal in the middle frame, Montreal earned the three best chances in the contest's final 20 minutes.
While Chuli came up big for Montreal, including two sensational saves on Zumwinkle near the end of the third, Hensley stole the show down the stretch.
Heise Is Dangerous
Shockingly, Montreal held Heise off the scoresheet in regulation and overtime.
The 2023 first-overall pick was arguably the best skater on the ice, displaying her dynamic skillset at five-on-five and with the player advantage. On Minnesota's first power play, the Lake City, Minn., native rifled multiple slap shots on the net and created space by dancing around the offensive zone.
These tendencies persisted throughout the game at five-on-five and Minnesota's other player advantage. In overtime, Heise found herself on a breakaway. Her shot chipped off Chuli's shoulder, hit the crossbar, and fluttered on the goal line before miraculously staying out.
Later, Heise went one-on-one with a Montreal defender, deked to her backhand, and flung a quality shot on the net.
“We're a resilient team, we've been in those situations before losing early in the game just like today," said Heise following the game. "We didn't really need to say anything, we sit in the huddle and know we have nearly the whole game left and time to work with what we've got. Every line came out firing today so if you made a mistake, you knew someone else was coming out next shift.”
The 24-year-old was riding a three-game point streak entering Sunday's match versus Montreal. While Chuli snapped that streak, given her play, it's easy to assume another will start once PWHL action resumes after the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship break.
Minnesota returns to the ice on April 20 when they visit TD Place to take on PWHL Ottawa. Puck drop is set for 11 a.m. CDT, Noon EDT.