In a game where finding the twine was proving to be impossible for either side, PWHL Boston needed a hero to force a game five against PWHL Minnesota.
They found one in forward Alina Müller, as she buried the dagger to take the 1-0 win after nearly 100 minutes of scoreless action.
The game remained 0-0 for 98 minutes and 36 seconds – the longest goalless stretch in a PWHL playoff game.
Müller’s goal knotted the series at two and forced a winner-take-all Game 5 at Boston’s Tsongas Center on May 29 for the PWHL’s inaugural Walter Cup final.
Despite only a single goal scored, the game wasn’t without excitement and controversy.
Just minutes before Müller skated off the ice after sending the series back to Boston, Minnesota and their 13,104 fans thought they’d won it all.
With just under three minutes to play in the second overtime period, Minnesota star forward Taylor Heise barrelled down the left side and cut to the net, but was forced to the ice by Boston blueliner Sidney Morin.
Heise slid into Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel and pushed her toward the left post, while the puck found the tape of defender Sophie Jaques, who drove the puck in the net off Frankel’s shoulder.
Chaos ensued inside St. Paul, Minn.’s Xcel Energy Center. Gloves soared through the air, players poured out of the Minnesota bench, fans screamed and the horn blared as the Walter Cup appeared to be decided.
But officials immediately convened to discuss the goal and announced the play was under review for goaltender interference.
Minnesota players continued to celebrate but eventually came together arm in arm as they nervously awaited a decision.
Roughly two minutes after Jaques scored, the officials’ ruling was announced — no goal.
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Boos rained down on the ice as Minnesota begrudgingly picked up their strewn-about sticks and gloves to resume play.
“Obviously, it’s a high-of-a-high to having to balance out the situation and get back to work,” Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said about having to resume play. “It’s not easy to come down from […], but that’s what we had to do.”
Just 70 seconds later, Boston took advantage of a failed clearing attempt, and Müller snapped a shot over the glove of goaltender Nicole Hensley to stun Minnesota in a wild turn of events.
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Müller said the overturned goal helped shift the momentum to finally beat Hensley, who had frustrated Boston shooters the previous two games.
“We really started playing and knew this would be a good challenge for us,” Müller said. “We tried to stay in the game and once [the goal] got overturned, we had more power, more speed. It was on our side.”
The goal made Boston a perfect 4-for-4 in overtime this postseason. Frankel turned aside 33 shots for her first playoff shutout.
Despite such a shocking end, Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said the team needs to refocus quickly with only one more chance left.
“We get to play another game and that’s the way we have to look at it,” Klee said. “It wasn’t a do-or-die for us but obviously it hurt going from a big high, where the confetti is going and the gloves are coming off … and then you have to try to refocus. It hurt, but now we go back to work.”
The winner of the first PWHL finals and the Walter Cup will be decided in game five on May 29 at the Tsongas Center at 7:00 p.m.
Featured image by Michael Riley/PWHL Boston
