Setting The Stage For The PWHL's Walter Cup Finals

PWHL Minnesota and PWHL Boston will drop the puck in their best-of-five series to decide the inaugural PWHL champions. The Hockey News' PWHL Minnesota correspondent Alex Wauthy sets the stage for the series.

Four-seed Minnesota punched its ticket to the Walter Cup Final in stunning fashion, reverse sweeping first-place Toronto and setting up an All-American series with three-seed Boston.

Boston, who disposed of second-place Montreal in three straight games, got multiple days to rest and reload versus Minnesota's one-day gap between its last contest against Toronto and its upcoming match on Sunday.

While things looked bleak for the State of Hockey Squad one week ago, captain Kendall Coyne Schofield says the team never lost faith.

"Our group never lost faith," Coyne Schofield told media ahead of the Walter Cup Final. "I think it's easy to lose faith when things aren't going well. But the energy in the room and the energy at practice was never lost based on the results we had towards the end of the season.

"We all know what we're capable of as individuals and collectives, and I think we proved that this series [against Toronto]."

With a chance to be champions in the PWHL's inaugural season on the line, let's look at a few things to watch entering game one between Minnesota and Boston.

Abby Boreen, a staple in Minnesota's top six during round one, will be ineligible to play in the Walter Cup Final.

Per the conditions of her reserve player agreement, Boreen was only eligible to sign a standard player agreement for one playoff series. Minnesota opted to play Boreen in its opening-round bout versus Toronto.

"It's not just one player that we're kind of relying on," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said. "Abby played great for us. It was nice to get her into the five games. But, we knew that was going to come, and we've had players stepping up all year."

Still, losing a gritty, skilled forward ahead of a series with a physical team like Boston is never ideal — especially one who played with Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle.

"She's a good player for us, there's no question, but we have other really good players that step up when she's not in and control that role," Klee said. "For me, it's just an opportunity for the players to be able to step up and earn their ice time and do a good job for the team, which I know they're all excited about doing."

Between the pipes hosts either side's playoff MVPs thus far throughout the postseason. Minnesota's Maddie Rooney and Boston's Aerin Frankel boast incredible numbers and show no signs of slowing down.

"It's really exciting to see Maddie take these last games and just play her heart out," Lee Stecklein said. "She's been absolutely what we've needed back there. When we've given up chances, we know she's there to keep us in it.

"It's been astounding to see how she's been playing and just the confidence she has."

Each goalie has over a .970% SV% — Rooney .979 and Frankel .972 — while sitting under one GAA. It is hard to imagine these otherworldly numbers will continue in the Championship series, but whichever goalie plays closest to these stats will likely lead their team to victory.

Minnesota's power play had five goals through 24 games in the regular season. Minnesota got two — nearly half of all their power play markers — in game five against Toronto.

The offensive explosion from its player advantage helped push the needle in Minnesota's favor to complete the reverse sweep. The result is something Kelly Pannek joked about with her teammates post-game.

"Sometimes, it's a matter of a bounce, and I think that was at least for the first goal," Pannek said. "I was joking about it after the game. I think we had four power-play goals, maybe all year, and we got half as many in one game at the right time."

Minnesota's power play looked great for the most part against Toronto, aside from the odd rush chance by the Canadian club's penalty killers, proving that doing things the "right way" is the way to go for the State of Hockey's team.

"I think our groups on the power play recommitted to playing the right way, doing the right things and keep trusting that the looks are going to produce when you have that positive energy," Pannek said. "The special teams were a big point of emphasis for us after the last five games of the regular season. So to get a turnaround when we needed it most in those areas was huge."

The All-American championship series begins Sunday at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. Puck drop is at 5:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. CT.