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PWHL Game 1 Recap: Montreal’s dominant start for naught, Boston wins in OT

Posted on by Jared Book
Susanna Tapani (88) scored the overtime winner in Game 1. (Photo Credit: PWHL)

Montreal did almost everything they wanted to do in Thursday night’s Game 1 of the PWHL Semifinal, except one: win.

Susanna Tapani’s overtime winner gave the road team the victory in Boston’s 2-1 win at Place Bell, in front of 9,135 fans. Aerin Frankel made 53 saves in the victory, stopping almost every shot Montreal peppered on her.

Megan Keller’s initial shot was stopped by Ann-Renée Desbiens, but the puck was loose in the blue paint and Teresa Schafzahl and Tapani crashed the net with Tapani getting the final touch 14:25 into the extra period.

“Relief,” Tapani said about how she felt about the game-winning goal. “We had a couple of pretty good chances before and I had a pretty good feeling we were going to score at some point but a lot of excitement.”

“I thought our third period was good, we finally started creating some offensive chances, break the puck out a little better,” said Boston head coach Courtney Kessel. “Going into overtime we held the momentum and at that point when you’ve had so many shots on net not going in, the other team’s holding their sticks a little tight and being on home ice under this atmosphere it sets in on the other team.”

The win gives Boston a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-five series, and they are guaranteed to go back to Tsongas Center with at least a split.

“We can’t dwell on it too much,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “We know that it’s going to be a long series. If we can continue to put together a full game like that defensively — we had our opportunities to score [but] obviously need to put a couple of those in. It’s disappointing but, for us, I’m happy as a coach with that effort — aside from the outcome. I know we need outcomes here but, if I look at the game as a whole, I’m happy with what our group did, with what they were able to achieve in this game, and I think that gives us momentum moving forward.”

It wasn’t like Montreal didn’t have chances of their own. Laura Stacey had several of her own, and had six shots throughout the game. Mikyla Grant-Mentis led all players with eight shots on goal. Stacey’s wrap around attempt left the puck on the doorstop for Mélodie Daoust, but Frankel made a diving save to keep the puck out.

“I think Montréal did a good job of putting pucks on the net and obviously it tires you out as the game goes on, but you have to stay mentally focused,” Frankel said. “I think I had a couple of lucky bounces.”

Montreal went 1/5 on the power play, including one in overtime, while Boston went 0/2. There were opportunities for more power plays on both sides, but many things went uncalled, including a Laura Stacey play where Frankel seemed to throw her stick.

Cheverie, however, was told that Frankel didn’t throw her stick by the officials and was visibly frustrated.

“There was a lot,” Cheverie said about the officiating, while also admitting that the team had lots of chances they could have converted. “Every game all year. We talk about our players making the smallest, simplest play that’s going to make a difference, so the difference of three inches of getting the puck over the red line to get the puck in or it’s an icing, well the [same thing] for a stick being dropped, or a stick being stick lifted out of someone’s hands which was just called in our last game against Ottawa… [The officials] need to have those small details in their game too.”

Montreal started the game dominant, not allowing Boston to even get a shot on goal until there was 10:23 left in the first period. In what was the theme throughout most of the game, Montreal had some great chances from all three lines, but were unable to put a puck past Aerin Frankel.

“Just when you think everyone’s beat on the ice, [Frankel] comes flying across the net,” Kessel said. “She’s not the biggest goalie, but her legs seem to always get there. Some huge, huge saves. Fifty-two shots is too many shots and we did have some puck luck tonight but we’ll take it. This is playoffs.”

Montreal’s best chance came with under two minutes left in the period. Marie-Philip Poulin used her edges and speed to get around the Boston defence, and fed Laura Stacey at the side of the net. Frankel stretched her pad to its limit to make the toe save, and Poulin rang the rebound off the post.

In the final minute, Kati Tabin’s point shot made its way through Frankel but trickled just wide as the game remained 0-0 after one period despite Montreal outshooting Boston 12-2.

On a power play that extended over the first intermission, Montreal finally opened the scoring. Poulin found Maureen Murphy in the slot who made a backhand pass to Stacey to set up her shot. Stacey’s shot handcuffed Frankel and trickled to the line, but it wasn’t over until Kristin O’Neill dove to put the puck in the net to make it 1-0.

The goal was originally credited to Stacey, but was changed to O’Neill.

Boston started generating more offence in the second half of the second period, but were unable to beat Desbiens. The shots were 25-10 after two periods.

Only 1:48 into the third period, Boston finally got on the board. Sophie Shirley’s shot was tipped by Lexie Adzija and past Desbiens to tie the game at 1-1.

There was a scare for Montreal when a puck seemed to hit something on the bench and was stopped high in the Montreal zone. Most Montreal players stopped, allowing Tapani to break in. Desbiens went to play the puck, but couldn’t get it all the way out and had to make a sprawling diving save to keep the game tied.

Montreal’s fourth line of Jillian Dempsey, Leah Lum, and Alex Poznikoff did not play a shift the entire game. Cheverie says that they will need them at some point in the series, but that them sitting the entire game wasn’t planned. Two of Boston’s fourth line played under five minutes.

“They were really only using three lines too,” Cheverie said. “Every decision I make has an impact on the team. If I make a small decision that turns into a puck in the back of the net because our fourth line got caught out against Knight’s line, it’s not the fourth line’s fault, it’s my fault so I’m not going to put them in that situation. When Knight’s going over the bench every two shifts, or so it feels like, it’s hard to get them in. We’ll need to get them in as the series goes on because it is going to be a grind.”

After a much-needed day off for most players on Friday, Game 2 will be played Saturday night at Place Bell. The game will be broadcast on RDS2 and TSN. The game will have over 10,000 fans.

Asked if she’s satisfied with the guaranteed split on the road to open the series, Kessel was clear.

“No,” she said. “We’re not done.”

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