Takeaways: Fleet Silence Sirens in Return From Break, 4-0

The Boston Fleet returned from the break with a bang last night, shutting out the New York Sirens 4-0. It was their first regulation road win of the season and the first win in team history by a four-goal margin. They're now tied with the Sirens for the final playoff spot, which they currently hold the tiebreaker for thanks to a game in hand. Here's how it happened.

Goal Rundown

With just 4.6 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Susanna Tapani tipped a Hilary Knight shot past Corinne Schroeder to open the scoring. It was her sixth goal of the season, which leads the Fleet and enters her into the four-way tie for third in the PWHL.

After a scoreless second period, Megan Keller fired a beautiful shot past Schroeder to double the Fleet’s lead 3:18 into the third.

Later, a Theresa Schafzahl shot went off Jamie Lee Rattray before sneaking past Schroeder to make it 3-0 Boston at 13:48. There was some discussion about whether Rattray kicked the puck in, but it was ruled a good goal.

Not quite two minutes later, Alina Müller, Sophie Shirley, and Shay Maloney combined for a great play that ended with Maloney capping off the scoring.

In goal, Aerin Frankel made 25 saves for the shutout win, while Schroeder turned aside 27 in the loss.

Takeaways

1. The Fleet kicked off a busy stretch in style.

Last night marked the first of four games in six days for the Fleet. It is the only such stretch for any PWHL team this season. It’s not the first wacky schedule Boston has faced, but unlike their earlier six-game, 14-day trek across North America, the Fleet kicked this one off on a high note. It wasn’t quite the first period they were hoping for, but Tapani's goal handed them all the momentum, and for once, they held onto it. Sure, New York still had some looks here and there, but it never felt like the Fleet were in danger of losing.

"We gave up some early chances in the game, playing a little bit too close to their players that stretch," Kessel said postgame. "That's what New York looks for is some quick breaks, but I thought we got stronger and stronger as the periods went on, and for us to finish the third period with three goals is a huge confidence boost for our team."

2. Others stepped up in Bilka’s absence.

In the first of at least seven games without Hannah Bilka, the Fleet's depth stepped up to fill the offensive void. Sure, likely suspects in Tapani, Knight, and Keller kickstarted the offense, but Rattray, Theresa Schafzahl, Shay Maloney, and Sophie Shirley got on the board too. Rattray had a two-point night after previously tallying just one goal this season, while Maloney’s tally was her third goal (but first that wasn’t funky) and fourth point. Meanwhile, Shirley got her second assist while Schafzahl, who was given the first crack at replacing Bilka on the top line, notched her second point of the year and first since Dec. 8.

Maloney isn’t necessarily expected to contribute much offense (although more would be awfully nice now that she's on the second line). However, the rest are players the Fleet would like to see more out of. This is a good start, but it also isn't the first game that Boston has gotten depth scoring this season. Now, the attention turns to whether or not they can sustain it for more than just a game at a time.

3. Head coach Courtney Kessel spread out the forward minutes.

The Fleet’s top line has carried a heavy burden this season, with Tapani and Knight consistently playing over 20 minutes a game while Bilka is always at least close to it. However, last night, Kessel rolled her top three forward lines fairly evenly. The result was only one forward playing more than 20 minutes (Tapani) while no others crossed 18. Knight’s 17:59 is her lowest total of the season and just the second time she’s played under 20 minutes. Her previous low (19:23) came in the Fleet's 4-1 win over Toronto on Jan. 22. Games like this with more balanced minutes will be key to keeping the Fleet's legs fresh during this busy stretch.

4. Frankel shined in her first shutout of the season.

In the first period, the Fleet struggled to sustain offensive pressure while allowing the Sirens too many good looks. It easily could have been 2-0 or 3-0 Sirens, but Frankel was there to make the kind of stellar saves that are somehow beginning to look routine for her. It was a well-deserved first shutout of the season and second of her career after she’s had a few bids spoiled by fluky goals.

“It’s really nice to see us be able to pay back Aerin for all the times she's kept us in these games and get a shutout for her," Kessel said postgame. "I think it's important from a mentality standpoint and it was great for us to put four goals in the back of the net. It doesn't happen often for our squad. It’s something we've been focusing on, getting a little bit more offense, so it was really nice to see.”  

The Fleet now travel to Toronto to take on the Sceptres Friday night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET at Coca-Cola Coliseum, and you can find the game on NESN, TSN, the PWHL Youtube Channel, and thepwhl.com.