Takeaways: Flaherty, Boreen Star In Minnesota's Overtime Win

PWHL Minnesota heads into the break for the PWHL Showcase on a good note, winning 2-1 in overtime against PWHL New York thanks to a 33-save performance from Nicole Hensley.

Sunday's matchup was highly contested, with plenty of post-whistle scuffles, hard-hits and penalties. New York went one-for-five on the player advantage, while Minnesota didn't get a power play throughout the contest.

Minnesota had their best first period in a few games. They pushed the pace from the opening whistle, and when New York pushed back, Hensley stood her ground. Minnesota peppered Abigail Levy, featuring a plethora of chances ranging from Taylor Heise-Grace Zumwinkle give-and-goes, Kendall Coyne Schofield chances of the rush and point shots from Lee Stecklein and co.

With four minutes remaining in the opening frame, Abby Cook's point shot beat Levy cleanly. The screened netminder couldn't get to the shot in time, leading to Cook's first of the season and Minnesota's first of the game.

Hensley shut the door in the second period as New York outshot Minnesota 17-6. New York thought they scored in the final minute of the frame, as the puck snuck past Hensley following a mad scramble in front; however, the referees blew the play dead before the puck crossed the line.

Both teams received offsetting penalties on the play, but just 22 seconds into the ensuing four-on-four, Kelly Pannek would go to the box for tripping.

Minnesota held New York off for the period’s remaining 27 seconds, but New York would break through moments into the third. Micah Zandee-Hart fed Ella Shelton for a one-timer, and she rifled it past Hensley. Shelton's third of the season broke Hensley's shutout and knotted the game at 1-1.

In overtime, both teams got great chances, but a heads-up play by Hensley put Minnesota on a three-on-one with a hair over two minutes to go. Abigail Boreen skated into the offensive zone and handed the puck off to Pannek. Levy saved Pannek's shot, but Boreen buried the rebound for her first PWHL goal, snapping Minnesota's two-game losing skid.

Isn't it funny how time flies?

Boreen signed a 10-day contract and subsequently suited up against Montreal for her PWHL debut just four days ago. Three games and an overtime goal later, and it's hard to imagine she might be leaving soon.

The University of Minnesota alum started in the bottom six during her pro-league debut but quickly worked her way up the lineup. Boreen finished playing on the second line in back-to-back games, lining up next to Pannek and Coyne Schofield as the trio used their speed, skill, and forechecking ability to make life tough for opposing teams.

After a seven-shot debut and a solid performance yesterday, Boreen's hard work paid off significantly. She notched the overtime winner, snapping her team's two-game losing streak against New York and earned Player of the Game honors for her efforts.

Maggie Flaherty's game can easily go unnoticed. The first-year pro has spent time playing with Stecklein on the top pair and, in recent games, has lined up next to Mellissa Channell on the second defensive unit and is a rock on the backend.

Flaherty's offense won't wow you as she has zero points through eight games this season and is without a shot on net in three, including against New York. Granted, she gets her fair share of impressive looks and can hold the line well and mount pressure in the offensive zone, as evidenced in the second period of Minnesota's win at Total Mortgage Arena.

Her two-way game and energy, however, are apparent when she's on the ice. Flaherty played hard all game. She levelled players pre-and-post whistle, was in the middle of scrums, and earned herself two minutes for roughing after protecting her netminder late in the second.

Flaherty's best contribution versus New York was her excellence on the breakout. Minnesota sometimes struggled to get consistent, controlled exits throughout the game, especially in the first and second periods. New York's active sticks and heavy pressure disrupted passes and carry-out attempts at Minnesota's blue line and in the neutral zone, but more often than not, Flaherty was the exception to this trend.

She consistently broke the puck out, leading seven breakouts herself in the game, and her confidence mounted as the game progressed. Her breakout passes evolved from simple feeds to targets just outside the blue line, to long stretch passes to players at center-ice.

In other instances, Flaherty held off an attacking player and safely passed to her defence partner so they could ensure a clean exit rather than forcing it herself. Flaherty's defense partner, Channell, also excelled at zone exits today, even having an impressive end-to-end drive to create a scoring chance in the third period.

Today's match came down to which goaltender would be the first to crack. Hensley—33 saves—and Levy—35 saves—deserve recognition for their standout performances, but only one could walk away with the win.

Hensley's play with the puck set her apart, notably on Boreen's game-winning goal. Jade Downie-Landry poked the puck past Natalie Buchbinder at New York’s blue line and chased it down the ice. The puck sailed into Minnesota's end, and if not for Hensley's aggressive, heads-up play to come out of her net and play the puck, Downie-Landry would have had a breakaway.

Hensley chipped the puck into the neutral zone, where Boreen picked it up. Boreen buried Pannek's rebound, and Minnesota's netminder earned a well-deserved assist on the overtime marker.

While Hensley has yet to record a shutout, although it feels inevitable at this point, Sunday's contest marked her best statistical performance of the season. Her 33 saves on 34 shots is good for a .971 save percentage and 0.95 goals-against average, a career-high in both categories.

Minnesota returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 3, as they take on PWHL Toronto at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Before their contest, catch five Minnesota players playing in the PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase during Thursday's 2024 NHL All-Star festivities.