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PWHL: Montreal blows lead, lose in overtime as season ends in heartbreak

Posted on by Jared Book
Aerin Frankel makes a save on Mélodie Daoust (Credit: PWHL)

Entering the third period with a 2-0 lead, it looked like Montreal was in the driver’s seat to extend their season by at least one more game. It was not to be.

Goals from Sophie Shirley and Amanda Pelkey in the third period send the game to overtime for the third straight time. In it, Susanna Tapani pounced on a rebound and put the puck in the open net to give Boston a 3-2 win in Game 3 of the PWHL semifinal at Tsongas Center on Tuesday night.

The goal came just 1:02 into the extra frame. The loss ends Montreal’s season in the inaugural PWHL year. Montreal outshot Boston 34-24, but were unable to put more than two goals past Aerin Frankel, who was once again outstanding.

“[We’re] just trying to process everything,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “I think it’s important for our group to know how well they played over the last three games, and it’s okay to feel the emotion — it’s important to feel the emotion right now. It’s one of those things where I don’t know if you do too much different.”

“We played well for the majority of the series,” said Montreal goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. “We weren’t able to get the bounces to get the puck in the net on the other side.”

Montreal opened the scoring late in the first period when Mikyla Grant-Mentis took the puck from behind the net and made a centering pass to Marie-Philip Poulin, who sniped her first of the playoffs past Frankel.

The shots were 18-4 Montreal in the first period, and they came out strong with their season on the line, but could not get more than one goal past Frankel.

Montreal extended their lead in the second on the power play. Maureen Murphy tipped the Erin Ambrose point shot past Frankel to make it 2-0. It was Montreal’s third power play goal of the series.

In the third period, Boston pushed hard to get on the board. They outshot Montreal 11-9 in the period. Their best scoring chance of the game came early in the period when Jamie Lee Rattray’s shot was saved by the stick of Jillian Dempsey to keep the score 2-0.

Boston would get their first goal a few minutes late when Sophie Shirley walked out from in front of the net and roofed a shot past Desbiens. It was her first goal of the series.

With 4:22 remaining, it looked like Boston was giving Montreal a perfect opportunity. Alina Müller took a boarding penalty, and with so little time left and a one-goal lead, it was an opportunity to extend the lead or milk the clock.

Montreal did neither. Somehow, Amanda Pelkey got behind the entire Montreal team. She managed to stay onside when taking the pass, and beat Desbiens with the shorthanded goal to tie the game at 2-2. It was her second goal of the series.

Montreal made some little changes to their lineups and tried to split ice time more evenly in Game 3.

“We’re trying to win games, we’re trying to put people in positions where if they’re in a position to score they score, and if they’re in a position to defend, they defend.”

Boston will now move on to the Walter Cup Final, where they will play either Toronto or Minnesota. Toronto holds a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 on Wednesday. Montreal will now focus on the draft, where they will have the fifth pick in every round.

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