By: Shay Costa, Howlings
LOWELL, MA – Susanna Tapani scored the game-winner 45 seconds into the second period, ending PWHL Boston’s four-game losing streak in a 3-1 win over PWHL Ottawa 3-1, before 1,889 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Wednesday.
On the game-winner, after a first period where both teams managed to put one past their opponent’s goaltender, Boston came out of the break and caught Ottawa flat-footed and off the opening face-off. Boston controlled the puck in the Ottawa zone and moved it with ease. Kaleigh Fratkin gave the puck over to Megan Keller on the left wing, and she moved up to the top of the circle and fired through a crowd in front of netminder Emerance Maschmeyer. Tapani got a stick on it and tipped it past Maschmeyer for her third goal of the campaign, giving Boston a lead they would not relinquish.
For Boston, this was certainly a different performance than the one they’d given just two days earlier when these same two teams met and Ottawa won 4-2.
“That was by far our best team-game that we played,” said Boston Head Coach Courtney Kessel. “We played with way more urgency, but most importantly, we played for each other.”
In the opening minutes, PWHL Boston demonstrated they had come ready to play by putting the game’s first six shots on goal.
After an unsuccessful power play, Boston defender Jess Healey picked off a pass in the neutral zone along the right-wing boards. She fed Alina Müller at center ice. Müller then moved with the puck into the Ottawa zone on the right side and fed Loren Gabel. She then advanced and fired a shot from the slot on the line of the right circle. Gabel beat Maschmeyer to the far post to draw first blood and make it 1-0 at 7:35.
Boston followed by killing off two penalties before Ottawa forward Kateřina Mrázová managed to tie the game in the final minutes of the first period. Off a 2-on-2 rush, Mrázová roofed the puck on Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel at 16:35 to tie the score heading into the second frame.
With the score skewed, tempers began to rise throughout the second period. Post-whistle scrums began to rise, drawing the ref’s attention to lower the temperature. The temperature peaked when Boston forward Amanda Pelkey was sent to the penalty box for an elbowing call at 4:36.
The Boston penalty kill unit stood tall and remained unbeaten, killing off both the elbowing call and then again when Pelkey returned to the box for a roughing call at 17:39. Ottawa’s player advantage was cut short when a Boston breakaway by Taylor Girard was slashed by defenseman Jincy Roese. The slash resulted in one minute of 4-on-4 play. The period ended without another goal being scored and Boston went to the break leading 2-1.
Early in the third period, Boston maintained their momentum even after a loose puck landed on the stick of Ottawa forward Akane Shiga, who had a clean breakaway which Frankel made a timely save on to keep the score 2-1 in Boston’s favor.
Boston captain Hilary Knight would give her team their insurance goal at 13:49 when she stripped Ashton Bell of the puck along the far wall just inside the Boston zone. She would break out up the left wing on a 2-on-1 with Gabel on her right coming down the slot. Knight never even thought about giving up the puck. Instead, the four-time US Olympian fired a shot past Maschmeyer’s glove into the far corner of the netting securing their lead and the win against Ottawa.
Kessel described ending the losing streak as “a weight off everyone’s chest.” She attributes this to the early lead, “It was nice to finally start at the drop of the puck.”
Despite having a three-game road trip in front of them where they will take on Minnesota, Montreal, and Toronto, the Boston coach said the focus will be on basics with the hopes of beginning their own streak. “It’s continuing what we do well: create offense…get pucks to the net.”
PWHL Boston plays next on Sunday, February 25th, at 3 pm.
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