Your Boston Fleet continued their road trip (that started last year! – sorry, Dad joke) with a stop at the Xcel Energy Center tonight to take on the Minnesota Frost for the 2nd time in 7 days. The Fleet are winless against the Frost this season and that trend continued tonight as the Boston road warriors fall in OT 2-1.
Emma Söderberg got her 2nd start of the season in net for the Fleet and at the other end of the sheet Maddie Rooney manned the pipes for the Frost. The game opened up with quite a bit of jump as these 2 squads are very familiar with each other. Actually, as they noted on the broadcast, all these games are rivalries when it’s only 6 teams playing in the league. Familiarity breeds contempt and hockey just adds fuel to that fire.
Hannah Bilka got the Fleet on the scoreboard in the opening 5 minutes when she buried a rebound at the right post. Daniela Pesjova put a shot on net from the top of the MIN zone and Hilary Knight was first on the rebound as she came from the back of the MIN net. The captain dug it out of her skates at the top of the crease and found Bilka driving the net. Bilka tucked it home on the backhand to give the Fleet the early lead.
The Fleet doubled their score a few minutes later, but after a review the goal was waved for goalie interference. I mean I thought the goal should have stood, but to be fair, I was watching the game with my forest green glasses on. That call by Stripes seemed to give the Frost some life as the zone time shifted Minnesota’s way.
Kendall Coyne Schofield got the puck off a turnover in the Boston zone and sent Kelly Pannek in down the left wing in the Boston zone. Her shot off the far side leg pad of Söderberg popped right to Denisa Křížová driving the net and her put away tied the game. The drop-knee snapshot for Křížová was her first goal of the young season and the teams headed to intermission all tied up.
In the middle frame the zone time and puck possession evened out though the special team play did not. The Frost had 2 separate power plays where they were held without a shot on goal and that seemed to give some momentum to the Fleet. After the second kill, the Fleet had an extended possession in the Frost zone with multiple looks, but Rooney was up to the task and BOS couldn’t take advantage. The teams headed into the final 20 still knotted at a goal apiece.
In the 3rd it was more of the same: fast paced, up and down hockey with very few whistles or stoppages in play. The crowd was into it and the players were operating with controlled aggression but couldn’t convert any of their opportunities. Both goalies were dialed and based on the history of these 2 squads, you knew it was going to extra hockey.
In the overtime period, possession is key and Boston had the edge in that category… until they didn’t. Taylor Heise (and I mean, honestly who else would it be?) carried into the Boston zone on the LW and carried the puck laterally across the high slot before putting a wrister on net from the RW circle that beat Sôderberg over the blocker. I mean talk about textbook hockey: skate right while you shoot left, head up the whole way and that’s your new Mayor of Snipe City. Assist on the goal to Mellissa Channel-Watkins.
Some observations from the couch:
- How fast is Coyne-Schofield? She’s never out of a play on offense or defense. Her drive and effort jumps off the TV screen. Do you have a young hockey player in your life? Have them watch #26 in purple.
- I’m loving the defensive pairing of Megan Keller and Pesjova. They compliment each other so well and work together seamlessly.
- Alina Müller is so close to unleashing an avalanche of points. She pulled a spin move with possession heading into the Minnesota zone in the 3rd that was sublime. Nothing came of it, but she def has her skating legs going and that will translate to her breaking through.
- Katy Knoll is making her mark in the PWHL. All those whistles in Hockey East are now positive plays in the pros. She was planting herself in front of the Boston net every chance she got.
- Speaking of planting, Kelly Babstock deposited a MIN player into the open door of the Boston bench and then let her up “as quick as she could” to avoid any type of penalty. I love Babstock’s game and Kelly, if you’re reading this, we’d love to have you on the podcast.
- Lexie Adzija was mixing it up all over the ice and had her nose in every scrum that she saw.
- At this point I expect Susanna Tapani to put the puck in the net every time she touches it. Not to put any additional pressure on her, but she’s on fire.
Minnesota has a 4 day break before they host Montréal on Sunday afternoon while Boston continues their 6 game road trip odyssey with a Saturday tilt vs. Ottawa.
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