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The Toronto Sceptres became the first PWHL team to win their first two playoff games at home in consecutive years, defeating the Minnesota Frost 3-2 on the strength of two goals by rookie Julia Gosling. They take a 1-0 lead in their semi-final series.
Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull beat two Frost defenders off the side boards, walked in across Hensley’s crease, and tucked it in for the first goal of the playoffs. She had great legs and set the tone early. Last year, Turnbull had two goals against Hensley in their first-round series versus Minnesota.
“I think the style of defense that teams play maybe is more suited for how I play,” said Turnbull afterwards. "I like to be really aggressive and move my feet and get pucks to the net. I think everyone has to play a little bit that way in the playoffs to be successful so for me I try to play that way all year long so I don't find that I have to adjust my game very much in the playoffs which helps me because I don’t think I would be able to adjust any more.
“But just playing a really hard physical game is what makes a team successful in the playoffs, and I think that’s part of my identity as a player, but I think our team really embraced that identity tonight.”
A high hit by Grace Zumwinkle on Renata Fast was called for boarding, signaling that Minnesota was going to target the star defender (and also the PWHL minutes leader). There were plenty of hard hits from the Sceptres but that was the only penalty call in the period.
The Frost pressed toward the end of the first but Toronto managed to block shots and escaped the frame with the one-goal lead, outshooting the Frost 12-6.
The Sceptres killed off a Daryl Watts penalty early in the second period and seemed to gain momentum from it. After a turnover by Michela Cava just inside the Frost zone, Julia Gosling's shot hit Melissa Channell -Watkins in the shin and bounced right back to her. She then fired it low to beat Nicole Hensley. It was the rookie’s first even-strength goal all season.
The physical play and intensity continued to ramp up. After Brooke McQuigge took a high-sticking penalty, it was Gosling again who took a Hannah Miller pass in the high slot and fired it past Hensley to make it 3-0. The power play marker was huge for the Toronto unit that hadn’t scored recently.
“I think the biggest takeaway for us is that if you play the right way, chances are you'll get rewarded," said Toronto coach Troy Ryan.
"I though we played responsible defensively, responsible physically, and some timely offense as well,”
Outshooting and outplaying the Frost, the Sceptres looked comfortably in control until Allie Munroe took an interference penalty two minutes after Gosling's goal. With the Frost crashing the net, it was anti-hero Brita Curl-Salemme who found a rebound off Campell’s pads and scored.
Her night didn’t last much longer, however, as Curl planted Renata Fast into the glass with an elbow to the head just a minute later. After video review, she was given a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct (and may face further discipline from the league as a repeat offender). Toronto got two good chances on the advantage, but Hensley was up to the task and the Frost killed it off.
The game wouldn’t coast easily to a finish, with Minnesota quickly striking in the third to make it a one-goal differential. Rookie Katy Knoll banged home a rebound on a point shot by Klara Hymlarova at 2:33, ramping up the pressure on the home team.
The Frost pulled their goalie and had extended offensive zone time in the final two minutes, but the Sceptres kept chances to the outside, and time ran out.
Ryan said, “There was a moment in that game as they were pressing at the end where I was like, you could live with the results of that game — obviously you always want to win, but I was so happy and proud of the way our team played as a group. I would put it up with our top couple of games that we've played.”
Game Two is Friday night at 7:00 pm EDT in Toronto.
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