Takeaways: Fleet Take Feisty Overtime Game Over Charge, 3-2

After a dramatic third period, the Boston Fleet defeated the Ottawa Charge in overtime last night, 3-2. There was no shortage of excitement, with the Fleet hopping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Charge tying it with two goals in the final four minutes, and the PWHL’s first (unofficial) fight featuring Jill Saulnier and Tereza Vanišová in between. The Fleet have now won three straight for the first time in regular-season team history (collecting eight of nine points), while the Charge have dropped their past two games in overtime.

Goal Rundown

Theresa Schafzahl lasered her first of the season past Emerance Maschmeyer to open the scoring for the Fleet at 8:18.

Just nine seconds into a penalty kill, Alina Müller took the puck end to end and eeked a jailbreak goal through Maschmeyer to make it 2-0 Fleet at 16:12. It was Müller's second jailbreak goal of the year, making her the only player in the league with multiple this season.

That was it for scoring until Ronja Savolainen finally got the Charge on the board in the third period. She fired a smooth goal past Aerin Frankel in the final second of a power play at 16:27.

Seconds after the Charge pulled Maschmeyer, Vanišová tied the game for her club with less than three seconds remaining.

Lastly, in the final minute of overtime, Susanna Tapani took the puck end to end and rifled a shot home to secure the extra point for the Fleet.

In goal, Frankel made 21 saves for the win, while Maschmeyer turned aside 27 in the overtime loss.

Takeaways

1. Fleet showed strong character by securing the extra point despite late collapse.

It goes without saying that the Fleet wanted three points out of this one considering they lead 2-0 late in the game. They gave up two goals in the final four minutes, including one in the final three seconds, which is tough to swallow. It would’ve been easy for them to come out flat in overtime and allow Ottawa to score quickly, but they found a way to rally and secure the extra point. All season, the Fleet players and coaches have talked about the character in their room and how they feel like they’re building to something special, and it’s moments like these where they show they’re not just kidding themselves. Sure, it’d be way better if they hadn't collapsed, but not every team would've been able to dust themselves off so quickly and get the extra point.

2. Jill Saulnier continues to make a big impact for the Fleet.

I can’t write this story without digging into the unofficial fight a bit.

This all started because Saulnier was being a pest, and Vanišová is certainly not the Charge player you want to pester. They were each assessed a double-minor for roughing, which should have been five per the rulebook (but that’s another story), and that was really the end of the aggression for the night. However, the kerfuffle perfectly encapsulates what Saulnier has brought to the Fleet.

When Boston and New York first exchanged Saulnier and Taylor Girard, I didn't think much of the trade. I’m happy to admit I was wrong. It took her a few games to find a good groove (as it would for anyone), but Saulnier has gone from quietly solid to outstanding since being elevated to the top line three games ago. She's said in recent press conferences that she’s felt at home in Boston and is enjoying being feisty, which was on full display tonight. Boston head coach Courtney Kessel has been thrilled with her, and Saulnier's teammates also have nothing but good things to say.

“It feels like she’s been with us the whole season,” Tapani said postgame. “[She] fits perfectly off ice and then on ice too. She’s just giving us so much specifically on the ice, physically, scoring goals, and she’s just been a very good teammate overall.”

Schafzahl added that she’s “super fun to have in the locker room” and gelled quickly even with those she’d never met. 

It’s safe to say that what appeared to initially be an inconsequential trade has made a big impact for the Fleet.

3. Fleet controlled the first half of the game but needed to generate more shots.

The Fleet dominated the first period and earned that 2-0 lead. They then didn’t allow Ottawa any shots until the second period until 9:59. However, despite controlling the majority of the play in the first half, they managed just 12 shots. Sure, they were mostly grade-A chances, which I have repeatedly said is often more important, but you’d still like to see more offense when spending that much time in an opponent’s zone. Emerance Maschmeyer has been lights-out this season, but had they peppered her with more quality looks, they probably could’ve potted a few more goals. It's been a pattern in recent games even though the goals are often going in right now, so I say this yet again: the Fleet would benefit from generating more consistent, quality offense.

4. Müller keeps rolling.

Müller extended her goal streak to three games last night with her jailbreak tally. It’s the first three-game goal streak of the PWHL career, and she’s also added two assists in that span. It’s hard to believe now that she opened the season on an eight-game pointless streak before tallying a secondary assist when the Fleet last played the Charge on Jan. 11. She's now tied with Megan Keller for second on the Fleet in scoring with 12 points in her past nine games. Only Hilary Knight (16) has more on the season. I’ve talked about Müller a lot recently, but it really cannot be understated how valuable her turnaround has been for the Fleet.

Kessel was asked postgame about what she thinks has changed the most for Müller recently.

“I think her confidence with the puck, without the puck, her willingness to move her feet and make plays and not wait for the game to happen in front of her,” Kessel said. “I think she’s really developed over the last eight games and it’s so exciting to see. She has tremendous ability on the ice but off the ice, just such a genuine human being to have around all the time.”

The Fleet will be back in action on Sunday when they face off with the New York Sirens for the fourth time in the past seven games. This time, it’ll be in Buffalo, NY as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. ET, and you can find the game on NESN, MSGSN2, TSN, the PWHL Youtube Channel, and thepwhl.com.