Minnesota Frost Unable to Capitalize on Chances in 2-1 Loss to Montréal
The Minnesota Frost outshot Montréal 11-1 in the third period but couldn’t find a late equalizer in a 2-1 loss Thursday night.
By Robert Brent
The Minnesota Frost returned home to Grand Casino Arena Thursday night for game three of their first-round matchup with the Montréal Victoire. The series sits tied at one game apiece after two completely different games in Laval.
Game one went to the Frost in overtime after a blitzkrieg of offense, while the Victoire responded in game two with a triple overtime 1-0 shutout victory.
With two tightly contested games in the rearview mirror, the Frost looked to surge back ahead in the series by feeding off their return to St. Paul. Forward Claire Butorac spoke before the game about the series turning to Minnesota.
“I think I’m most looking forward to being at home, being in front of our crowd and getting to pull off the energy they bring every night,” Butorac said. “We’re just looking to focus on one game first and see what we can do at home and then focusing on what happens after that.”
Recap
Maddie Rooney and Ann-Renée Desbiens made their returns to the net after a stellar performance from both in the marathon game two.
Minnesota didn’t need to wait long to get on the board in game three with a tally from Sidney Morin early in the first period. Morin scored her second goal of the series when she slid a puck along the ice with Britta Curl-Salemme setting a great screen out front.
While Morin’s goal was the only marker of the opening frame, it was far from the only notable occurrence. The first period was also characterized by physical play and penalties on both sides.
Lee Stecklein and Taylor Heise received minor penalties for Minnesota, while the Victoire saw Dara Greig, Lina Ljungblom and Amanda Boulier serve minor penalties.
The Frost led in shots on goal 10-7 in the first period.
Montréal fought back early in the second period, and their pressure paid off with a goal from former Frost defender Maggie Flaherty. Hayley Scamurra gave Victoire the lead just 24 seconds later to turn the game on its head.
The Victoire’s two-goal blitz served as the only scoring plays of the period. Minnesota had two more chances on the power play but couldn’t cash in on those chances. The matchup went to the third period with Montréal leading 2-1 and 18-17 in shots on goal.
Minnesota completely dominated the third period, pushing for a late equalizer. The Frost registered the first 10 shots of the period, but were unable to crack Ann-Renée Desbiens through the first 18 minutes of the final frame.
The Frost made their final push with the empty net and got a massive chance from Kelly Pannek with four seconds remaining. Still, the puck didn’t go in, and the Victoire emerged victorious to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
Key Takeaways
Missed Opportunities on Special Teams Sink Frost
One of the key aspects of this series was always going to be the battle between the Frost’s high-powered extra-attacker unit and Montréal’s sterling penalty kill. Each team ranked first in the regular season in their respective specialty.
At least in game three, Montréal’s penalty killers won the day. The Victoire spent over 14 minutes in the penalty box, racking up eight minors, including one at the end of the game that lasted only 15 seconds or so.
The Frost generated plenty of opportunities as well, but were unable to find a goal in a game they could have used the added offense. Montréal played solid defense, but the headlines will, of course, revolve around the play of Ann-Renée Desbiens, who made several quality saves.
If Minnesota is to rebound, it’ll need to find more ways to be effective on special teams.
Late Offensive Push Something to Build On
While the Frost were unable to come away with an equalizer late in the game, they should have plenty of things to build on in game four. Minnesota completely dominated the third period, outshooting Montréal 11-1 in the final frame.
The Frost’s offensive production wasn’t just getting shots on net either, with the team being able to manufacture several shots from high-danger areas. Most of Minnesota’s offense came from around the net or in between the faceoff circles.
It will be difficult to feel positive about the late push not resulting in a goal in the moment, but Minnesota must take what it can from the game. The two teams will play tomorrow night again, and if the Frost can carry some momentum from late into the game through game four, they should have plenty of opportunities to get back on the scoresheet.
