At their core, pro athletes are entertainers, paid to sell tickets to fans who want to see a good show. And if you like goals, there have been few games more entertaining than the Minnesota Frost’s wild 7-5 win over the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday evening at Xcel Energy Center.
In what was the highest-scoring game in the two-year history of the PWHL, the Frost took Game 3 and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five league semifinal on a night where public address announcer Brian Sweeney might have been the hardest-working person in the building.
“I think it’s a fan’s dream and a coach’s nightmare, a 7-5 playoff game,” Frost coach Ken Klee said after 60 minutes of defense-optional hockey. “We found a way to win, and that’s the most important thing. Our team played hard, and we have to clean things up because the next game is going to be a lot tougher.”
Speaking to reporters via Zoom on Monday morning, Klee took a big picture view.
“Watching the film, I think it was a combination of both teams trying to stay on offense and keep attacking,” said Klee, whose team is now four wins shy of a repeat as Walter Cup champions. “When you look at it, it wasn’t huge breakdowns. Both teams were battling and both teams knew how important the game was. Watching it this morning, it was a lot of really great plays by both teams.”
Coaches aren’t the only ones having nightmares after a 12-goal playoff game. Sunday’s starting goalies, Kirsten Campbell for Toronto and Maddie Rooney for Minnesota, both have playoff goals-against averages of 4.00 or higher, and save percentages under .900. Both coaches said on Monday that their plans for who will guard the crease in Wednesday’s Game 4 are up in the air.
Toronto coach Troy Ryan said there was some discussion among coaches about pulling Campbell — who has played all three of Toronto’s playoff games — during Game 3 but decided to keep backup Carly Jackson fresh in case they decide to make a goalie change for Game 4.
But, he added, they’re not convinced a change is necessary.
“We also have trust in Soupy,” Ryan said, using Campbell’s nickname. “Soupy’s had some up-and-down games throughout the year, but ultimately we have trust in Soupy and want her to find ways to battle. … She’s a very good goalie and a driven athlete.”
In the Frost crease, Rooney has backstopped a pair of wins but Klee said they are looking at all of their options, including Nicole Hensley, with a chance to clinch the series in Game 4 at home.
“We haven’t really looked at the lineup yet. Today is an off-day for everybody and we’ll get together (Tuesday) and start looking at the lineup,” Klee said.
New intensity for an old rivalry
Between their PWHL games, their college games and their games on the international stage, it’s safe to say that Toronto forward Emma Maltais and Minnesota standout Taylor Heise know each other well.
United States forward Taylor Heise, right, and Canada forward Emma Maltais battle for the puck during the third period of a rivalry series women’s hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Maltais is from Ontario and has played plenty of notable games for Team Canada. She also played against Heise head-to-head in the WCHA when Maltais was at Ohio State and Heise — originally from Lake City, Minn. — was winning the Patty Kazmaier Award as college hockey’s top player while with the Gophers.
But even after all of those meetings on opposite sides of a faceoff, keen observers of the first three games between Toronto and Minnesota have noticed a new level of intensity, and even scrappiness, between Maltais and Heise.
Asked about any bad blood on Monday, Heise said the physical plays are just a part of the PWHL in May and denied there is any player-specific bad blood to be had.
“I mentioned this after the first game and the second game: Hockey’s feisty, and the playoffs should be feisty,” Heise said. “If there’s not some people going at each other every game, then it’s not playoff hockey. You watch it in the NHL and you see it here. … We’ve played against each other since college and she’s a good player. She gets under people’s skin. That’s her job. I think she does it well. As for me, I love getting competitive and just being part of the game. It makes it more fun.”
While checking is not allowed in the PWHL, it is definitely the most physical brand of women’s hockey available, and Heise said that when she and Maltais have bumped into each other, it’s to be expected.
“In our league, you’re only allowed to have some body contact,” she said. “And there’s for sure been some body contact.”
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