The PWHL Finals are continuing to heat up. PWHL Minnesota handed Boston their first loss of the Walter Cup Playoffs in Game 2 of the finals series, evening out the standings 1-1 in the best-of-five series. Minnesota poured water (or ice?) on the fire that Boston had packed since the end of the regular season, winning six straight games including a sweep of the first round.
The win by Minnesota in Game 2 not only ended their hot winning streak but gave Boston a sense of just how competitive this series was going to be offensively. Despite their strong efforts, Boston got shut out 3-0.
There were several factors that contributed to this final score, so let’s break down Game 2 of the Walter Cup Finals.
Unable to Capitalize
The general consensus among PWHL Boston and their fans regarding Game 2 was that there were several scoring chances for the team, but they were unfortunately unable to capitalize on them. Boston had four power play opportunities, yet the scoreboard remained blank on their side.
Boston has struggled with their power play throughout the entirety of their season, and that struggle has clearly carried over to the postseason – when it really matters. PWHL Boston head coach Courtney Kessel expressed her frustration at the team’s lack of production on the PP
“Obviously something has to change. We did a few things throughout the year, but at the end of the day it’s going to be the death of us if we can’t put the puck in the net on our power play.”
Although Boston is the favorite to win the Cup given their stellar performance in the postseason so far, Game 2 showed that no team is perfect. It will not be surprising to see Kessel begin to mix up power play combinations for the coming games, hoping that one of them will finally click.
A Controversial Whistle
As stated before, Boston had several chances that simply did not go their way. One of these came in the second period when defender Jess Healey was finally able to get a puck past Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney at 2:21.
This, however, did not get Boston on the board.
The whistle was blown by the referee prior to Healey firing the puck into the net when Boston’s Sophie Shirley fell into the goal crease and caused a crowd before the puck popped out to Healey. Her goal was waved off because of the whistle blowing the play before the goal dead, not because of goaltender interference.
Regardless of the reason, the Boston bench and the 4.5k fans in the Tsongas Center stands were not happy with this call, as boos roared across the arena.
“Yeah, so I think the whistle blew too early,” said Kessel.
Minnesota Brings Star Power… Again
PWHL Minnesota is known for its talent acquired in the inaugural PWHL Draft back in September 2023, particularly the first overall pick Taylor Heise. While Heise has been extremely productive for Minnesota in both the regular season and the postseason, it’s time to talk about a player who has made a name for herself in Minnesota lately: defender Sophie Jaques.
Jaques has some history with PWHL Boston. She was involved in the first-ever PWHL trade between Boston and Minnesota, where she was traded to Minnesota in exchange for Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook. During her time in Boston, she was unable to register a point in her first seven games with the team, which was probably the reason the team was looking to trade her.
However, she is shining in Minnesota. In 15 regular season games, she recorded 10 points and finished 7th among defenders in the league in points. She was also the top-scoring rookie defender in the PWHL.
In the postseason, Jaques turned up the heat. She has five points in seven games, tied for the playoff lead. Not to mention the Finals. In Game 2 alone, she scored two goals against Boston, becoming another showcase of star power that Minnesota isn’t afraid to boast.
Looking Forward
Game 3 of the Walter Cup Finals will take place on Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m. EST. The teams will go to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The game will be streamed on YouTube and the W0men’s Sports Network, as well as locally broadcast on MSG and Bally Sports North. The series is currently tied 1-1.
For More Great Content
Be sure to check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Follow us on Twitter/X @TotalApexSports as well as keep up with our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
About the Author
River Caraballo (she/they) is a hockey writer for Total Apex Sports. Despite being based in Connecticut, she is a big fan of the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild. They host a weekly podcast and radio show, Round the Rink, where they discuss hockey from the NHL to the PWHL and college hockey. You can follow River on Twitter/X to keep up with her sports content.