LPH FILE PHOTOFrost will get a rematch this Friday at Grand Casino Arena
by Robert Brent, Let’s Play Hockey
The Minnesota Frost traveled to Boston Sunday afternoon for a contest with the Fleet at Agganis Arena. The matchup was the last of a three-game road trip, with the Frost having won their previous two games on the road, leading up to their faceoff with the league-leading Boston Fleet.
Before the game, head coach Ken Klee spoke about the team’s performance on its road trip and the need to continue its brand of play against the Fleet.
“We’ve had back-to-back good outings on the road, and we need to continue to play our game. Boston is off to a great start, and we know we need a big effort out of our entire squad.”
While Boston has looked great this season, they’ve traditionally struggled against Minnesota. The Frost held a 5-1-0-0 record over the Fleet last season and are 7-3-1-0 in the two teams’ regular-season histories.
The matchup on Sunday also marked the last before a short break, with the Frost not retaking the ice until December 19th.
The Frost turned to goaltender Maddie Rooney for the first time since the season-opening game as they took on the undefeated Boston Fleet.
Recap
The Frost got off to a hot start in the game, registering four of the contest’s first six shots. Though they pushed early, Minnesota was unable to solve the puzzle of Boston Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel.
Boston broke the ice when Shay Maloney scored the match’s opening goal. Maloney made an excellent individual effort, carrying the puck from the Boston blue line all the way to the Minnesota net. Maloney’s goal was unassisted.
Megan Keller added to the Boston lead moments before the first period ended when a shot from the top of the faceoff circle found the top corner. Keller’s goal tied her for the league lead for points by a defender.
Minnesota answered with a goal of its own early in the second period when the team’s fourth line scored its first goal of the season. Klára Hymlárová got the goal with assists from Peyton Anderson and Claire Butorac.
The Frost’s one-goal deficit didn’t last long when Boston scored on the power play just 49 seconds after Minnesota scored. Rookie Abby Newhook scored the goal, which extended her scoring streak to three games.
Theresa Schafzahl added another goal for Boston on the power play in the third period, capping the scoring on a 4-1 Boston Fleet Victory.
Maddie Rooney made 31 saves, while Britta Curl-Salemme led the team in shots on goal with seven.
Curl-Salemme was also involved in a scuffle with Laura Kluge at the end of the game, which resulted in a roughing call for Curl-Salemme and a game misconduct cross-checking call on Kluge. It will be interesting to see if any of that bad blood carries over when the Frost take on Boston at Grand Casino Arena on December 19th.
Key Takeaways
New-Look Fleet are a Major Threat
With the league expanding into two new markets, every PWHL team looks a bit different coming into this season. This situation is definitely true for the Boston Fleet as well.
The Boston Fleet team that took the ice on Sunday featured five forwards, three defenders, and a goaltender who were not on last year’s roster. One of the significant departures from last season was that of Hilary Knight, the previous season’s leading scorer and Boston’s captain.
The Fleet have clearly adjusted well to their new lineup, with the team going 4-0 and giving up just two goals in Boston’s first four contests. Boston’s new group is a mix of veterans and impressive rookies, including first-year player Abby Newhook. Newhook, a fifth-round pick out of Boston College, scored her third goal of the season against the Frost. Newhook leads all rookies in goal-scoring.
Missed Opportunities on Special Teams
Special teams played a significant role in the outcome of Sunday’s matchup between the Frost and the Fleet. Minnesota had three power play opportunities in the first two periods, including one early on that gave them the chance to start the game on a positive note.
To make matters worse, Boston converted its extra-skater opportunities, scoring two power-play goals late in the game to push their lead from 2-1 to the 4-1 final score.
Assistant Coach Brianna Decker spoke after the game about the importance of capitalizing on special teams opportunities, particularly going into the team’s next matchup with the Fleet.
“We started off hot and I think we just want to be better on our power play and scoring on those chances. And on the back side of that, the PK (penalty kill) gets cleaned up as well because obviously we have them in the next game.”
Minnesota’s power play is now 1/10 on the season, while the penalty kill sits at the bottom of the league at 70%.
Trio of Firsts for Frost Forwards
Minnesota will be looking for positives from this game, and they can find one in the form of a pair of season firsts for three players in the forward group.
Klára Hymlárová tallied her first goal of the season on a one-timer from the front of the net. The goal is Hymlárová’s second-career PWHL goal, the first of which also came against the Boston Fleet last season.
Hymlárová scored two points in 29 regular-season games last season, but followed that up with a productive playoff, scoring five points in eight games. If Hymlárová can build on Sunday’s goal and get back to scoring as she did in the playoffs, it would be a massive boon for the Frost’s attack.
Hymlárová wasn’t the only Minnesota player to put up their first point of the season, as Claire Butorac and Peyton Anderson both registered an assist on the goal. The assist marked Anderson’s first career point. Anderson got her point not far from where she played NCAA hockey at Northeastern University.
