Takeaways: Peslarová, Saulnier Lead Fleet to 4-2 Comeback Win Over Frost

For the first time in their five meetings this season, the Boston Fleet took down the Minnesota Frost with a 4-2 comeback win. Klára Peslarová made her debut when she took over in relief of Emma Söderberg and became the first goaltender in PWHL history to pick up the win after entering in relief of the starter. She's also the first one this season to win her debut. Meanwhile, recently appointed first-line left wing Jill Saulnier registered her first goal of the season and the first two-point game of her PWHL career after tallying just two points all of last season.

“Obviously not the start we wanted, but this is a team that never gives up on each other," Boston head coach Courtney Kessel said postgame. "I think we saw that tonight for the last 40... and I think it's important for our team to battle in front of a goalie who's playing her first game. And just really happy with the response that we had after the first period.”

Goal Rundown

Kendall Coyne Schofield showcased her speed and made a slick play to kick off the scoring 10:54 into the first.

Not even two minutes later, a Kelly Pannek pass bounced off Brooke McQuigge’s foot and past Söderberg to make it 2-0 Frost. It was McQuigge’s fifth goal of the season, three of which have come against Boston.

The Frost thought they scored on the first shot Peslarová faced, but after a review, there was no evidence the puck fully crossed the line, so the original no-goal call stood.

Later, Saulnier crashed the net hard and buried Susanna Tapani’s rebound to cut the deficit in half at 11:09 of the second period.

Early in the third, Saulnier fed Tapani out in front, and she sent a ridiculous behind-the-back, backhand shot past Maddie Rooney to tie the game.

Sophie Shirley and Hilary Knight swapped lines in the second period, and the change paid off. Alina Müller and Knight broke into the zone 2-on-1, and Müller sent a nice pass over to Knight, who sailed it past Rooney to make it 3-2 at 13:23. Four of Knight's six goals this season have come against the Frost.

Finally, Müller shot the puck into the empty net to make it 4-2 Fleet with 8.5 seconds remaining.

In goal, Peslarová turned aside all 15 shots she faced to secure the win, while Söderberg made seven saves in the first period. At the other end, Rooney made 17 saves for the Frost.

Takeaways

1. Jill Saulnier played her best game as a member of the Fleet.

Saulnier's offense tonight was not the only thing that made her great. She was all over the ice, blocking shots, taking away lanes, and generally creating chaos. The always energetic forward told us postgame that she feels like she’s settling into her identity more with the Fleet.

“I've definitely kind of settled into my identity, which I think is just playing with as much heart as I can and kind of doing what I can for the group,” Saulnier said. “I tend to find some success when I do kind of come out there 110%, guns a-blazing. I try to scare the other D and I like to have the title of being hard to play against. I think that's something that I've just tried to do since I was five years old. So to be in a group that it's a perfect puzzle... I like the tenacity. I am a little feisty, I'm not afraid to get into it, and I like protecting the girls. So it's been a lot of fun so far, and definitely not done yet.” 

2. The offense was better in the third period, but the Fleet must start games on time.

For the first two periods, it was the same old story with the Fleet’s offense. In the first, they managed just five shots, none of which were dangerous. Things got a bit better in the second and they started controlling the pace more, but they still managed to get just six shots on Rooney (two from the slot, one of which went in). They picked it up more in the third, and while they still didn’t get many slot shots, they were at least from below the circles, which earned them two more goals (excluding the empty-netter). The fact that the Fleet can pull off comeback wins is great, but they’d find things a lot easier if they got going offensively on time for once.

3. The decision to start Söderberg was probably not the best one.

With back-to-back games today and tomorrow, Aerin Frankel was always going to sit for a game. However, I was surprised to see Emma Söderberg get the start against the Frost. She’s already played them twice this season, and in the last one–a 5-2 loss– they had her number. When asked about the decision after the game, Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel said Söderberg wanted revenge against Minnesota. 

“Emma really wanted to rebuttal from our loss vs. Minnesota, and unfortunate that we didn't show up in front of her in the first 20,” Kessel said. “But she took it like a champ and she knew it was what the team needed to hopefully come out on the good side of it.”

All four of Söderberg’s starts this season have been against the then-top-two teams in the league (three against Minnesota, one against Montréal). They've also all been on the road until today, where the Fleet have struggled. She hasn’t won any of them, and while it’s been far from all her fault, only starting her against top teams is no way to build confidence. It's what she wanted today, but that doesn’t mean it was the best choice. She was pulled after just one period, and while it seemed to be to get the team’s attention more than anything, it's not what you want to see. It would've been yet another road start, but she may have fared better against a team that’s not familiar with her in the Sirens, who saw her just once last season.

4. Peslarová shined in her debut and deserves more playing time.

As mentioned, Peslarová made her PWHL debut when she took over in relief for Söderberg in the second period. It was a difficult situation to come into but Peslarová certainly made the most of it. When asked about her emotions when she found out she was coming in, she kept it simple.

“At the time I was enjoying my orange,” Peslarová said. “I was just like, I needed to eat it quickly and then zone in. There's nothing special I need to do or specially prepare. It's just like, be ready and be there for the girls.”

Considering Peslarová’s performance today and the difference in how the team played in front of her, it’s time for her to get more ice time. While Söderberg has not often been set up to succeed, the Fleet always seem to play worse in front of her. They let up more odd-player rushes, seem to screen her more, and just generally don’t play as tight defensively. However, once Peslarová took over in the second period, the Fleet tightened up drastically. Her demeanor and style are more similar to Frankel's than Söderberg’s is, which may be part of it. There’s no telling if the Fleet will show up for Peslarová again like they did today, but it’s certainly worth a try.

The Fleet will be back in action this afternoon when they take on the New York Sirens. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. ET at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, and you can find the game on NESN, MSG, TSN, the PWHL Youtube Channel, and thepwhl.com.