Facing elimination in Game 4 of the PWHL semifinals, the Minnesota Frost scored three goals in the final 12 minutes to defeat the Montreal Victoire 3-1, extending the series to a winner-take-all Game 5 on Monday night in Montreal.
With the victory, Minnesota improved to 5-0 in elimination games in franchise playoff history; the Frost also improved to 4-1 all-time in Game 4 playoff contests. They have won both Games 5 they have played, both in 2024.
For much of the evening, the two teams were locked in another defensive battle. Montreal finally broke through 1:13 into the third period when Hayley Scamurra’s wraparound attempt created a rebound that Maureen Murphy buried for her first goal of the postseason.
But the Frost, who have repeatedly shown their resilience under pressure, responded with the urgency of the two-time defending champion.
Defender Sidney Morin scored twice in a span of less than four minutes, continuing what has become one of the most surprising offensive outbursts of the playoffs. Her four goals in four postseason games now match the total she scored in 84 regular-season games.
After tying the game at even strength, Morin struck again on the power play with what proved to be the game-winning goal.
That opportunity came after Britta Curl-Salemme continued to frustrate Montreal’s Laura Stacey throughout the night. Curl-Salemme’s persistent physical play finally drew a response after the whistle, when Stacey was assessed a roughing penalty late in regulation.
Minnesota capitalized immediately when Morin blasted home her second goal of the night on the ensuing power play, putting the Frost ahead for good.
Kelly Pannek sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 1:07 remaining.
Goaltender Maddie Rooney stopped 29 of 30 shots and made several key saves to keep Minnesota within striking distance. Montreal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens turned aside 28 of 30 shots.
Rooney said the Frost will carry confidence into the deciding game, especially after already winning in Montreal earlier in the series.
“We’ve been there. We won there,” Rooney said. “Just having that confidence from Game 1 and knowing that we can get it done in that arena. They have great energy and great fans, but we know we can get it done.”
For Montreal, the message is simple—stay composed and trust the process.
“I think the biggest thing is not to change anything,” Victoire defender Erin Ambrose said. “Playoff hockey is little things, hard battles, one-on-ones that you have to continue to win shift after shift. In Game 5, it all comes down to it. Winner moves on, loser goes home.”
Despite the disappointment of letting a third-period lead slip away, Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie expressed confidence in her team heading back to Montreal.
“We’re excited to get back home,” Cheverie said. “The mission remains the same. Winner takes all in the next game, and there’s no better place to try to win than in front of our home crowd.”
Cheverie also highlighted several positives from Friday’s performance. “I thought we did a great job of keeping them scoreless in the first and second,” she said. “Our penalty kill was strong again, but we’re taking a few too many penalties and playing with fire a little bit. Everybody was generating chances and slowing them down for stretches, so we’ll take that momentum into Game 5.”
Game 5 is on Monday at Place Bell. Puck drop is at 7pm and the game is available on Prime Video in English and French (Canada), and worldwide on YouTube.
Full Highlights
