Minnesota came back to win in a shootout spoiling Sandra Abstreiter's effort for Ottawa, and the win marked Abby Boreen's final game until playoffs for Minnesota.
Minnesota came back to win in a shootout spoiling Sandra Abstreiter's effort for Ottawa, and the win marked Abby Boreen's final game until playoffs for Minnesota.
Ottawa's Sandra Abstreiter nearly stole the game on Tuesday, but two goals from Denisa Křížová and a shootout winner from Grace Zumwinkle lifted Minnesota to a 4-3 victory at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.
Their win Tuesday night moves Minnesota into a tie for first place with PWHL Montreal; however, Montreal has two games in hand on the State of Hockey squad.
It was all Minnesota to start. The home team came out flying, and the home team would open the scoring.
Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield came racing into Ottawa's end. She sent a pass to Taylor Heise, who was set and ready to unleash a one-timer. However, an Ottawa defender tipped the puck, which trickled down to Abby Boreen.
Fittingly, in her final game before the playoffs, Boreen chipped the puck past Abstreiter for her fourth goal of the season.
Křížová got her first PWHL marker minutes later, and halfway through the opening frame, Minnesota held a 2-0 lead.
Minnesota was pulling away, but their first of four straight penalties would briefly tilt momentum in Ottawa's favor. Brittyn Fleming took the first, and Hayley Scamurra notched her third of the season after grabbing a failed clearing attempt from Minnesota's penalty killers.
Moments after, a pretty passing play between Brianne Jenner, Daryl Watts, and Kateřina Mrázová left the Czech forward open for an easy tap-in, tying it at two apiece.
Ottawa swiftly swept away Minnesota's two-goal lead, netting two quick ones to end the first period tied two apiece.
Ottawa opened the second period with six seconds remaining on a power play. Fifteen seconds after it expired, Boreen took a penalty, and the top power play in the PWHL didn't let their third opportunity pass them by.
Mrázová picked up her second of the contest, with Watts and Jenner both tallying assists on the goal.
Maggie Flaherty took Minnesota's fourth consecutive penalty — one minute and a half after Mrázová's goal — but their penalty kill fought off Ottawa's top unit.
Ottawa entered the second intermission up 3-2 despite getting outshot 16-10 in the middle period.
Minnesota pushed the pace in the third. Pressure paired with an Ottawa penalty left their offense hungry for the equalizer. Despite failing to execute with the player advantage, Minnesota didn’t let their momentum go to waste.
Kelly Pannek chipped the puck ahead to Grace Zumwinkle, who slid it over to Křížová in the high slot. Křížová ripped it past Abstreiter for her second of the game, equalling her Czech compatriot on Ottawa.
Minnesota outshot Ottawa 14-4 in the third period, and if not for Abstreiter, Minnesota would've likely won in regulation. But the German netminder's sensational play helped Ottawa push the game to extra time.
Neither team scored in the extra frame, even with Minnesota starting overtime with 1:30 remaining on their power play, meaning the game needed a shootout to find a winner.
Křížová continued her scoring ways in the shootout, getting one past Abstreiter. Scamurra matched Křížová's opening-round goal, keeping it even through one.
Neither team scored until the fourth round when Zumwinkle potted the go-ahead goal over Abstreiter. Rooney stopped Ottawa's shooter, setting up Heise for the game-winner in round five.
In the fifth and final round, Heise waited out Abstreiter, watched her get low, and put it over the outstretched goaltender, winning it for her team. With the 4-3 win, Minnesota moves into a tie for first place in the standings with Montreal — each team has 27 points on the season.
Minnesota Marched to the Box
Despite outplaying Ottawa for most of the contest, for a brisk moment, it seemed Ottawa would snatch victory in the State of Hockey. Minnesota marched to the penalty box in the first and second periods. They took four penalties within a hair over ten minutes of game time, surrendering two goals in that frame.
The PWHL's top-ranked power play lived up to their lofty status, leaving Minnesota fortunate to be within reach once they rectified their penalty problems. Outside of their penalization blip, Minnesota played a near-perfect game — pushing the pace, controlling play and peppering Abstreiter with shots. Still, for a fleeting moment, it seemed Ottawa would prevail Tuesday night.
Abstreiter Almost Steals It
Tuesday night marked the first time Abstreiter played a full regular season PWHL game. While Ottawa's head coach, Carla MacLeod, has used her sparingly throughout the season's first half, her performance against Minnesota may earn her some extra starts down the stretch.
Abstreiter stopped 43 of 46 in the loss, denying multiple two-on-ones and singlehandedly forcing a shootout after Minnesota outshot Ottawa a combined 18-7 in the third period and overtime.
With Emerance Maschmeyer having the worst statistics of any goalie league-wide to play over 240 minutes — 2.59 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage — it makes sense for Abstreiter to see more action as Ottawa slips farther and farther from the playoff picture.
Boreen Out Until the Playoffs
Don't worry; Boreen isn't injured. However, Minnesota fans won't see her in the purple and black until May.
Tuesday's contest marked Boreen's final game of her second 10-day standard player agreement of the season. With both contracts now complete, the next time Boreen can suit up will be in the postseason in May.
Boreen added much-needed offensive reinforcement in her second stint this regular season. The Wisconsin native played great in the top six while Heise was injured, providing goal support, grit, and energy. Her absence upfront will be noticeable, but it's only eight quick games before Boreen's likely back in the lineup.
Minnesota looks to extend their winning streak to three on March 13 when they host PWHL Boston at the Xcel Energy Center. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. CT, 8:00 p.m. ET.