PREVIEW: Boston Returns to the Road to Play Minnesota
Boston is searching for their first back-to-back regulation wins of the season.
Following a mammoth six-game homestand, Boston hits the road for the first time since January 24 as they visit Minnesota this afternoon.
The Basics: Sunday, February 25, 2024- Boston at Minnesota- 4 p.m. EST, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (NESN, Bally Sports North, Sportsnet, PWHL Youtube Channel, SN+)
What to Expect
The last time these two teams met, Boston walked away with a 4-3 OTW. Four players got their first PWHL points for Boston, including overtime hero Hilary Knight, who got her first assist and first goal. The teams previously played in Boston’s home opener, a 3-2 W for Minnesota.
Following Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Ottawa, Boston is searching for their first back-to-back regulation wins. It’s been a rough stretch results-wise for Boston, as Wednesday’s win snapped a four-game losing streak. However, with the notable exception of their first game against Ottawa on Monday (which was ugly), Boston has been playing well, just struggling to finish offensively. However, after the Monday game, head coach Courtney Kessel called her team out for their lack of urgency, and they looked much sharper on Wednesday. They were finally playing in a way that looked like they wanted to win instead of just avoid losing. Look for them to continue that today as they hope to kick off a three-game road stretch on a high note.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is coming off a 2-1 loss to Montréal last Sunday. They will be much fresher heading into this one and have had more time to practice, so Boston will need to be ready from puck drop. Minnesota has had an iffy month, beating last-place Ottawa twice but losing to first-place Montréal and red-hot Toronto. Their goaltending has been excellent, but like Boston, they’re struggling offensively. Star forward Taylor Heise hasn't played since February 3 due to an injury she sustained in the Rivalry Series, and her status for today is unconfirmed. They have not scored more than two goals in a game this month, and while goal-scoring has been low across the league, only potting one or two is not a great strategy. Look for them to try to break out of that offensive slump today, as they hope to grab a valuable three points to kick off a busy home stretch (six of their next seven games are at home).
Nicole Hensley is likely to start in goal for Minnesota. Minnesota has been rotating her and Rooney pretty consistently, and Rooney got the last start. Plus, Hensley is Minnesota’s 1A, and since they haven’t played in a week, they’ll want to keep her fresh. The only potential complication is Minnesota plays Toronto on Tuesday, and they probably won’t play the same goaltender in both games, so depending on how they evaluate each team, we might see the rotation break. So far, the two goalies have split the season series with Boston. Hensley started the first game and stood on her head to get Minnesota the win when Boston turned it on in the third period. Rooney then started the second game, and she did what she could to keep her team in it and get to overtime.
Overall, both goaltenders have been excellent this season, so they can’t really go wrong. Should Minnesota choose to switch things up and go with Rooney, she is 2-0-2-1, with a 1.98 GAA (fifth in the league) and 0.911 SV% (eighth in the league). Hensley is 3-2-0-2 on the season, with an outstanding 1.84 GAA and 0.938 SV% (both third in the league).
As for Boston, this is the first time in a few games I’m reasonably confident picking a goaltender (which, with my luck, means I’ll be wrong). Aerin Frankel started the last three games as Boston tried to claw their way out of their slump, and now that they’ve done that, look for Emma Söderberg to get the nod today. She last played against Toronto on February 14, and Boston will want to keep her fresh. As I have said numerous times, the eye test strongly disagrees with her subpar numbers, and if Boston just gives her a little defensive support (instead of, say, hanging her out to dry three times with the league’s leading goal scorer), she’ll give them a chance to win.
Söderberg started the last game against Minnesota, and they looked to have a harder time solving her than they did Frankel in Game 1. That’s not to say Frankel played poorly in Game 1, but it bears mentioning that Minnesota seemed to know from the get-go where her weak spot was and proceeded to score three nearly identical goals. There is still a chance Boston starts Frankel in a fourth straight game considering how well she has played recently, but given Kessel was rotating her goaltenders until the losing streak got out of hand, it feels unlikely.
Boston’s Key to the Game
Continued urgency. The losing streak may be over, but there’s still work to be done for Boston to get themselves in a good position to make playoffs. They’re currently fourth in points percentage but fifth in overall points. They’re making up the game in hand over New York today and need a point to tie them for fourth place. Meanwhile, Minnesota will be hungry to avoid losing ground to Montréal for first place. They currently sit three points back with a game in hand. So, Boston will need to play with the same urgency they showed on Wednesday to walk out of the Xcel Energy Center with a win today. That means a fast (or at least on-time) start and then sustaining it through 60 minutes with none of the potentially disastrous lapses that plagued them earlier in the season.
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