Minnesota faced its biggest game to date on Sunday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center, and before the announced crowd of 7,268 could get settled, the home team found itself down to Montreal 2-0 after a pair of unfortunate breaks.
Not the start Minnesota was looking for as it aimed to extend its winning streak to five games.
Not the start it wanted in the final game before a nearly month-long break for the Women’s World Championship.
Not the start it wanted in its quest to pick up the three points needed to tie Toronto for first place in the Professional Women’s Hockey League standings and put some distance between it and third-place Montreal.
But the finish was just about perfect.
Minnesota beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout, with Grace Zumwinkle scoring twice in the shootout to secure the victory that leaves Minnesota one point out of first place at the break.
Zumwinkle, who was buzzing the Montreal net all game but had nothing to show for it until the shootout, said the early deficit did not diminish the confidence the team has built up during its winning streak.
“As a team, coming off a week off, it was a key emphasis to come out and start hard,” Zumwinkle said. “And, going into a long break, It was give it all you’ve got for one game. So that’s something I tried to focus on.”
Minnesota center Taylor Heise, who also scored in the shootout, reiterated that there was no panic among the players when facing the early deficit.
“We’ve been in those situations before,” Heise said. “We didn’t really need to say anything. We literally had a whole game left, so you know you have time.”
Montreal took a 1-0 lead at 2:36 of the first period. A shot from the right point pin-balled around in the slot and onto the stick of Kati Tabin, who beat goaltender Nicole Hensley from in tight.
Montreal’s lead grew to 2-0 at 5:53. Minnesota’s Sophia Kunin lost the puck in the neutral zone when she fell to the ice, setting up a two-on-one for Montreal. Maureen Murphy beat Hensley from in right for her fourth goal of the season.
Minnesota scored twice early in the second period within a span of 24 seconds to tie the game. Natalie Buchbinder scored her second of the season on a wrist shot from the right point that found its way through traffic.
Lee Stecklein scored her second of the season at 6:04 on a wrist shot from the left-wing circle.
“It was kind of awkward the way they scored the two goals,” Minnesota coach Ken Klee said. “But we knew if we stuck with it that we could score.”
The third period and overtime had a playoffs-like feel to it, with both teams coming close on good scoring chances. Hensley made a handful of big saves down the stretch to keep Minnesota alive.
“For me, it’s exciting because we’ve been fortunate to have been able to play with the lead,” Klee said. “In hockey, you’re going to have to be able to come from behind.”
With five games remaining in the regular season, Minnesota is all but assured a spot in the postseason as one of the league’s top four finishers. The top two teams will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-five series, and Minnesota wants to be one of them.
It did all it could do leading into the break by sweeping a four-game homestead.
“It was kind of pivotal for us, where we kind of solidified that we’re a team to contend with,” Klee said. “We have multiple players who can contribute on any given night.
“That way we don’t get pigeon-holed, where we have to rely on certain players. That’s a great feeling.”
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