PWHL Minnesota got an immediate boost from the return of Taylor Heise to their lineup this week, and they started creating separation in the standings as well.
PWHL Minnesota got an immediate boost from the return of Taylor Heise to their lineup this week, and they started creating separation in the standings as well.
She’s back.
PWHL Minnesota snapped their three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over New York at UBS Arena as Taylor Heise made her return from injury.
Maddie Rooney stopped 29 shots en route to her second shutout of the season, while Kelly Pannek and Abby Boreen scored to give Minnesota the edge.
Minnesota was flying to start the game. They peppered shots on the net, skated with agency, and had multiple opportunities to get the contest’s opening goal. But despite outshooting New York 11-6 in the first period, Corinne Schroeder kept them off the scoresheet.
Minnesota kept pushing the pace entering the second period, and their efforts paid off early. Denisa Křížová picked off a defensive zone pass by New York and quickly fed Grace Zumwinkle the puck. Zumwinkle waited out a diving Micah Zandee-Hart and sent a cross-crease pass to a wide-open net front Pannek for an easy tap-in.
New York took a penalty just over a minute after Pannek’s tally, giving Minnesota their first power play.
On the ensuing opportunity, Sophie Jaques sent a pass to Maggie Flaherty in the slot. She took a quick shot, and the puck deflected off of Boreen and trickled into the net, putting Minnesota up two. Two goals in under three minutes gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead, and they carried that into the second intermission.
The final frame saw Rooney fight off the ten shots New York sent her way. Despite pressure in the last few minutes, Rooney locked in and secured her second shutout of the season, earning first Star of the Night honors.
A Heise State of Mind
Even though Heise didn’t record a point in her return, she showed why she’s among the most dangerous players in the PWHL.
Heise managed one shot through her 17:54 minutes of ice time — fourth among Minnesota forwards — but the base numbers don’t tell the entire story.
On the power play, Heise and fellow Patty Kazmaier Award Winner Sophie Jaques cycled the puck well, created space, and looked like they’d played together all season. Her offensive game ramped up as the game went on, evolving from just making the right play to flashing her dynamic skill set in the second and third periods.
Heise had multiple shots whistle wide of the net and failed to capitalize on a rushed breakaway chance, but despite missing five straight games, by the end of the contest, it was like she was never gone.
Separation in the Standings
With Minnesota’s regulation win on Sunday, we are slowly starting to see separation in the PWHL.
Montreal, Minnesota and Toronto make up the top three teams in the league, with the lowest — Toronto — possessing 24 points.
The drop-off starts with fourth-place Boston sporting 18 points, followed by Ottawa and New York with 16 each. Unlike Minnesota, Toronto, and Montreal, neither of the bottom three teams has a positive goal differential.
While three-point games mean any team can string together six to nine-point runs in quick succession, the teams competing for home ice in the playoffs and those simply competing to get in are getting clearer daily.
Minnesota looks to sweep their season series against PWHL Ottawa on Tuesday when they host them at the Xcel Energy Center. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. CT, 8:00 p.m. ET.