TORONTO, ON – Minnesota traveled to Toronto for their first meeting since last season’s PWHL Playoffs and came away with a 6-3 win over the Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Frost were led by rookie Britta Curl-Salemme’s two goals, including a game-tying tally late in the second period and the game-winner in the final frame. Michela Cava also scored twice in a three-goal third period for Minnesota, while Maddie Rooney stopped 21 of 24 shots for her second win of the season.Â
QUOTES
Minnesota forward Taylor Heise: “I feel like everyone on this team knows their role but also knows that you can be put in any other position and go out there and win. I just think that we’re built up and we’ve seen what it takes to win now. Obviously, we want that feeling again, and it just takes everyone at this point to do that.”
Minnesota head coach Ken Klee “We came out buzzing. Our forecheck was on, our D (defense) had good gaps, and we were getting pucks to the net. We knew they would push; come second period it was up and down a lot with chances both ways. I was really proud of our squad for the third period. We really hunkered down, played the right way, limited their chances, and when we do that, we know we’re going to get chances.”
Toronto forward Victoria Bach: “Yeah, I think it’s so important [to get to the front of the net]. Obviously, you see a lot of the offence that we had was down low today. Renata (Fast) found me there and getting in front of the goalie’s eyes, being able to pick up a couple of dirty goals like that – they all count – so it’s really important that we’re hemming them in their zone and getting those shots off.”
Toronto head coach Troy Ryan: “I thought the second part of the first period was okay, it started to trend in the right direction. I thought parts of the second, as a group, we could live with that. I just thought that the way the end of that second period went, with us scoring a goal and getting high, and them getting a goal – that’s ultimately where the game was won for them and lost for us. Not able to rebound and respond from that shift in momentum – a lot of times that costs you a game.”
NOTABLES
This was the highest scoring game to start the PWHL’s second season with nine goals and ties the league record for most goals in a single game (Feb. 24, Ottawa 3 at Montréal 6).
The six goals scored by Minnesota is a new team record, and the six goals allowed by Toronto is the most in team history.
Minnesota fifth round pick Dominique Petrie is tied for the league lead with three goals and became the first player to score a goal in each of her team’s first three games of the season. Her three-game goal streak ties the rookie record set by Lexie Adzija last season with Ottawa as part of a season-opening five-game point streak.
Petrie‘s goal counted as the Frost’s first power play marker of the season – capitalizing on their first opportunity of the game and sixth in three contests. Minnesota became the sixth and final team in the league to score on the advantage this season.
Frost second rounder Britta Curl-Salemme recorded her first two career PWHL goals, and third round pick Klára Hymlárová recorded her first career PWHL assist. First round pick Claire Thompson picked up her second career assist in her first game in her hometown.
Minnesota’s Michela Cava recorded her second career two-goal performance and now has three tallies in three games. She scored five times in 24 games during the inaugural season and four times in 10 playoff appearances.
Defenders Renata Fast (TOR) and Sophie Jaques (MIN) each extended their season-opening point streaks with their third assists in their third game.
Brooke Bryant (MIN) recorded two assists for the first multi-point game of her PWHL career. She scored one goal in 22 games last season.
Seven other PWHL returnees recorded their first points of the season including goals by Claire Butorac (MIN), Jesse Compher (TOR), Victoria Bach (TOR), and Daryl Watts (TOR), plus assists by Liz Schepers (MIN), Allie Munroe (MIN) and Jocelyne Larocque (TOR).
Bach‘s tally was the third of her career and first that wasn’t an empty-net goal.
Minnesota sixth round pick Mae Batherson and seventh rounder Katy Knoll both made their PWHL debuts.
Toronto lost on home ice in a regular season game for the first time since Jan. 17 (3-2 vs. Boston), ending a 10-game winning streak.
The Sceptres allowed the first goal for a third consecutive game to open the campaign. Last season, they surrendered the first goal in each of their first four games. They went on to score first in 15 of their final 20.
SCORESHEET RECAP
Minnesota 1 2 3 – 6
Toronto 1 2 0 – 3
1st Period-1, Minnesota, Butorac 1 (Schepers, Thompson), 2:50. 2, Toronto, Compher 1 (MacKinnon, Munroe), 8:23. Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Period-3, Minnesota, Petrie 3 (Heise, Hymlarova), 5:35 (PP). 4, Toronto, Bach 1 (Fast, Larocque), 12:05. 5, Toronto, Watts 1 17:41. 6, Minnesota, Curl-Salemme 1 (Bryant, Jaques), 18:41. Penalties-Batherson Min (tripping), 0:57; Daniel Tor (tripping), 3:47; MacKinnon Tor (slashing), 7:14.
3rd Period-7, Minnesota, Curl-Salemme 2 (Heise, Bryant), 6:39. 8, Minnesota, Cava 2 (Pannek, Coyne Schofield), 14:47. 9, Minnesota, Cava 3 (Coyne Schofield), 18:13 (EN). Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Minnesota 13-10-13-36. Toronto 11-6-7-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Minnesota 1 / 2; Toronto 0 / 1.
Goalies-Minnesota, Rooney 2-0-0-0 (24 shots-21 saves). Toronto, Campbell 1-2-0-0 (35 shots-30 saves).
A-7,584
THREE STARS
1. Britta Curl-Salemme (MIN) 2G
2. Taylor Heise (MIN) 2A
3. Daryl Watts (TOR) 1G
STANDINGS
Minnesota (2-0-1-0) – 7 PTS – 1st Place
Toronto (1-0-0-2) – 3 PTS – 5th Place
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Toronto: Wednesday, December 18, at New York at 7:00 p.m. ET (Prudential Center)
Minnesota: Thursday, December 19, vs. Ottawa at 7:00 p.m. CT (Xcel Energy Center)
