ST. PAUL, Minn. — Boston avoided elimination in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 double-overtime victory against Minnesota on Sunday night in Game 4 of the PWHL Finals.
The game had four, nervy, scoreless periods of hockey, but still had plenty of high-danger chances, action at both ends of the ice and a would-be series-clinching goal overturned. More than anything, it was a high-stakes goalie battle between Aerin Frankel (Boston) and Nicole Hensley (Minnesota) who combined for 51 saves heading into the final frame.
Advertisement
In the end, Alina Müller scored the first and only goal (that counted) with 1:24 left in the game in front of 13,104 fans at the Xcel Energy Center. Sophie Jaques, who was drafted by Boston and traded to Minnesota in February, appeared to score the game-winner just one minute earlier, but the goal was overturned due to goaltender interference.
PWHL Minnesota believed they had just won the first Walter Cup, but the goal was overturned for goaltender interference 😳
(via @Buccigross) pic.twitter.com/tOuNTUCQnu
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 27, 2024
Frankel returned to her clutch form with 33 saves on 33 shots.
The victory snaps a two-game losing streak for Boston and pushes the league’s best-of-five series to a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday night back in Boston.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
Better start for Boston
In Game 3 on Friday night, Boston was in a hole 59 seconds after puck drop. With their backs against the wall, and facing a series loss, Boston had a much better start on Sunday night, outshooting Minnesota 9-8 in the first period.
The team did a much better job at keeping Minnesota pinned to the boards with a more consistent forecheck and made the neutral zone a battle to get through. They won a lot of puck battles and played a really physical game, going particularly hard at Minnesota’s stars like Taylor Heise.
Minnesota only put three shots on goal in the 11 minutes of the period, and picked up a bit in the second half, but still weren’t able to get past Frankel.
On the other side of the ice, Boston had more sustained offensive zone time in the first period and tested Hensley early in the game, who was just as solid as Frankel for the majority of the game.
The no-goal
In the moments after Jaques appeared to score the series-winner, Minnesota celebrated in the corner, their sticks, gloves and helmets thrown to the ice.
Advertisement
And then came the review, which found Heise — who was driving the net to create the chance — collided with Frankel “on her own volition,” according to the league explanation. It was ruled no goal by the on-ice officials due to goaltender interference and the goal was overturned.
“I didn’t really know what happened, other than the fact that I was pushed, but I didn’t know who pushed me into the net, it kind of just all happened really fast,” said Frankel after the game. “Then after seeing the replay, I was confident they would overturn it.”
The thought for Minnesota fans, or players, would be that Heise was tripped or pushed into Frankel, which would negate the goaltender interference.
“When you see the replay, you slow it down, she definitely loses an edge,” said Minnesota coach Ken Klee. “It’s tough to tell if it’s from a Boston player’s stick or if she just loses an edge.”
“I had no doubt that it was goaltender interference,” said Müller, the overtime heroine. “That’s tough to get a goal overturned. The momentum is for the other team, for sure — For us.”
The Minnesota players had to go from the high of winning a championship, gather their equipment and get ready to play again. Just over one minute after the puck dropped again, Müller called game.
“That one hurt,” said Klee. “When the confetti is going and the gloves are coming off — and then you got to try to refocus real quick.”
“It’s not an easy thing to come down from by any means in an instant,” added Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.
Klee made it clear in the postgame that the team had several chances to win the game before that moment, with 33 shots on Frankel, including 13 in both overtime periods.
“It wasn’t do-or-die for us,” he said. “We get to play another game so we’re going to regroup after this one and get back to work.
Advertisement
The game-winner
The game-winning goal was a perfect example of the kind of player Müller is: A 200-foot center who can put the puck in the back of the net.
On the goal, Müller forced a turnover up high in the zone, got a step on Coyne Schofield into the inner slot and picked a corner on Hensley.
Alina Muller scores off a turnover to give Boston the win to a chorus of boos from Minnesota fans pic.twitter.com/hTEtTyj3fn
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 27, 2024
Müller, 26, was named one of the finalists for the PWHL’s Rookie of the Year Award and led Boston in scoring this season. Still, her five goals and 16 points in 24 games left some offense to be desired, considering her monster NCAA career at Northeastern where she scored 254 points in 159 games.
“We’ve been waiting for it all year, and I know it’s there, and I’ve been telling her that it’s there,” said Kessel. “(I’m) just so happy to see that happen and watch her grow this year.”
That was Müller’s second goal — and third point — of the postseason. Her line with Susanna Tapani — who scored two overtime winners in the semifinals — and Theresa Schafzahl have been excellent of late, and could be key in the decisive Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Aerin Frankel comes up big (again)
Sunday night was exactly what you’d expect from Frankel in a do-or-die game: 33 saves for her league-leading fifth win of the postseason, and first shutout.
Frankel was the biggest reason Boston even advanced to the Finals with 141 saves in a three-game upset sweep of Montreal. That she gave up 10 goals in her first three games of the Finals was uncharacteristic, though not entirely her fault. Some shots, she was screened, or had a tip. Others she was beaten by a great shot or good move. But still, there were plenty of those against Montreal and Frankel only yielded four goals against.
Advertisement
“She knows what’s at stake and this is when she really shines,” Dave Flint, the longtime Northeastern coach, told The Athletic this week, after Boston won Game 1.
Game 4 was a return to her playoff form, particularly late in the game when she made nine saves in the third period and 13 in both overtime periods. Frankel has now played in seven overtime periods in the playoffs and not allowed a goal against for four overtime wins.
“She’s the Green Monster — tremendous,” said Boston coach Courtney Kessel. “It starts with Franks, and just her ability to stay calm through these ups and downs, her ability to keep us in games and win games for us. That’s what you want heading the championship: If you have a hot goalie, you can win.”
The special teams battle
Boston still hasn’t managed to score on the power play yet this postseason, and had four chances to do just that on Sunday night, including in both overtime periods. Boston entered the playoffs with the worst power play in the league (7.5 percent) so it shouldn’t be all that surprising it’s been flat in the playoffs too.
But the team’s penalty kill was sharp in Game 4 and helped keep the season alive with five massive kills, including two in the third period. On each third-period power play, Minnesota only got two shots on Frankel, which she turned away to keep the game 0-0 and force overtime.
(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)