Minnesota Frost Eliminated by Montréal in Hard-Fought Game Five
The Minnesota Frost saw their Walter Cup title defense come to an end Tuesday night after a 2-1 loss to the Montréal Victoire in decisive game five.
By Robert Brent
The Minnesota Frost traveled to Laval, QC, Tuesday night for their final and decisive game five against the Montréal Victoire.
Tuesday night’s matchup was delayed by a day due to concern over illness, but the PWHL gave the go-ahead for the two teams to take the ice. The contest was a winner-take-all event, with a trip to the Walter Cup Championship on the line.
Minnesota earned the game five opportunity after a comeback victory in game four. If the Frost were to emerge victorious, they’d need to play with the same energy they had in that exhilarating game. Forward Grace Zumwinkle spoke before game five about trying to keep that momentum.
“Tonight is going to be a competitive matchup. This series versus Montréal has been very close and back and forth from the drop of the puck in the first game,” Zumwinkle said. “We know with it being game five that everything is on the line, and we will continue to bring the intensity and urgency from Game 4 into tonight.”
Recap
Game five featured the same matchup in net as every game in the series. Ann-Renée Desbiens is typically excellent coming off of losses, while Maddie Rooney plays like a star in elimination games. Seeing which of those trends would continue was sure to be a key to Tuesday night’s matchup.
Minnesota started the game with all the momentum, generating the first seven shots on goal of the contest, and leading 9-1 in shots at the halfway point of the first period.
Despite the Frost’s offensive push, it was the Victoire who found the back of the net first. Catherine Dubois scored off a faceoff victory from Marie-Philip Poulin. Dubois fired a shot on net that deflected out front and knuckled over Maddie Rooney.
Dubois’ goal was the only tally of the first frame, giving Montréal the lead going into the second period.
Minnesota answered halfway through the second period to tie the game at one goal apiece with a score from Samantha Coogan. The goal was Coogan’s first as a member of the Minnesota Frost and first career playoff tally. Abby Hustler and Britta Curl-Salemme helped set up the goal with a tic-tac-toe passing play that found Coogan alone in front of the Montréal net.
Coogan’s goal stood as the lone tally in the second period, with the Frost knotting up the game. Play was relatively even between the two teams as well, with Minnesota holding a slight 13-10 edge in scoring chances.
Montréal struck early in the third period on a power play goal from captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Poulin roofed the puck from a low angle to beat Rooney and restore the Victoire lead.
The Frost pushed throughout the third frame but were held off the board into the late stages of the third period. Minnesota pulled its goaltender with two minutes left, hoping to make one last push to tie the game and keep its three-peat hopes alive.
Minnesota pushed valiantly, but ultimately came up short and was eliminated in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Key Takeaways
Season Reflection
While the 2025-26 season was the first that didn’t end in a championship for the Minnesota Frost, with time, there will still be positive storylines to reflect on. The team led the league in goals and saw record-breaking performances from several members of the team. Kelly Pannek, most notably, had a campaign that wasn’t just career best, but the top-scoring season in PWHL history.
Of course, this year will also be remembered for how key a role the Frost played in the Olympic Games. Six members of the team (Kelly Pannek, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, Grace Zumwinkle, Taylor Heise and Britta Curl-Salemme) all returned home from Italy with a gold medal.
The team came into the playoffs and put together a very strong performance despite the run ending in defeat. Game one was an instant classic, as was the gutsy comeback victory in game four.
With the PWHL constantly expanding, only time will tell how much of this team the Frost can keep together. Still, the team has an incredibly strong core group that can contend in the future.
