PWHL Minnesot and PWHL Montreal are both up against the wall facing elimination from their PWHL semi-final series'. Here's a look at what each team will need to do to get back into the series.
PWHL Montreal and PWHL Minnesota both find themselves on the verge of elimination from the 2024 PWHL playoffs. Montreal heads to the road to try to stay alive, while Minnesota will get their chance to prolong the series at home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Both teams trail 2-0 in their best-of-five PWHL semi-final series.
Here's a look at the keys for each team to get back into the hunt.
Keys For PWHL Montreal
Montreal simply can't play another game hoping their top line can do it all. Erin Ambrose has played 94:11 minutes in two games. Yes, you read that right. In their triple overtime loss to Boston, each of Marie-Philip Poulin, Kati Tabin, Kristin O'Neill, Laura Stacey, and Ambrose topped the 50 minute mark. That came only two nights after that group averaged over 30 minutes of ice each in a game one single overtime loss. Montreal has left players like Jillian Dempsey, Leah Lum, Madison Bizal, and Catherine Daoust on the bench for almost the entirety of the series. Meanwhile Boston got both of their goals in game two from fourth line players, with Taylor Wenczkowski scoring the triple overtime winner. The irony is, last season Wenczkwoski was a depth player in the PHF often playing on the Boston Pride's third or fourth line, while Jillian Dempsey was Boston's top line star. While it was clear Kori Cheverie did not want to play her depth, that hand may not be forced as it did not look like Montreal's top line had much fuel left in the tank in triple overtime. Cheverie may need to insert more rested players like Dempsey, Lum, Claire Dalton, and Sarah Lefort higher in the lineup. Utilizing depth will be crucial to Montreal.
The second aspect of Montreal's game plan will be matching Boston's physicality without winding up killing penalties. Officiating has been inconsistent in the PWHL playoffs, and Boston has taken advantage of an apparent easing of rules in terms of body checking and physicality in the postseason.
Keys For PWHL Minnesota
Minnesota's roster includes Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle, Denisa Krisova, Sophie Jaques, and Lee Stecklein. On paper, Minnesota should be able to produce. In reality, Minnesota has been unable to score in either game being shutout 4-0 and 2-0. Minnesota has managed only 47 shots in those games. Kristen Campbell has been rock solid in net with Toronto, and Toronto's team defence has kept point blank chances to a minimum. Earlier in the season, Campbell was exposed often when chances came from near the net and the middle of the ice. Minnesota will need to get to the middle of the ice and find ways to get to the net, and capitalize on rebound chances.
Minnesota needs to find ways to get more bodies to the net and more chances from the middle of the ice in order to score. This will also involve finding a way to produce on the powerplay as Minnesota went 0-for-4 in game two.
Minnesota will also need to find a checking answer for Natalie Spooner and Sarah Nurse. The team has struggled to contain Toronto's biggest stars as they've bullied their way to the net for high danger chances. Maddie Rooney fared better than Nicole Hensley in net last game, and Minnesota may go back to her again for the deciding game, but Rooney or Hensley alone cannot minimize the impact of Toronto's stars up front. More back pressure on these players from Minnesota's forward group will be necessary to take away time and space and perhaps keep shots to the perimeter.