Jess Healey's goal lifts Boston to 4-3 win vs Minnesota in 1st game of PWHL championship series
Boston forward Jamie Lee Rattray, left, forward Taylor Wenczkowski, center, and defenseman Jess Healey, right, celebrate with teammates after Boston scored during the second period in Game 1 of a PWHL hockey championship series, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Lowell, Mass. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
LOWELL, Mass. — Jess Healey scored from the point late in the second period to lift Boston to a 4-3 win over Minnesota on Sunday night in the first game of the inaugural Walter Cup, the championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
The best-of-five series continues Tuesday. Game 1 drew 4,508 fans.
Healey, a defenseman who had one goal during the regular season, got her first playoff goal just 15 seconds after Minnesota's Taylor Heise scored her second goal, tying it 3-3 with 2:50 left in the second period.
Boston goalie Aerin Frankel overcame two power plays, 1 minute and 35 seconds of Minnesota pulling goalie Maddie Rooney for an extra attacker and 13 shots in the third period. Frankel finished with 30 saves and Minnesota came up empty on the only three power plays of the game.
Healey got the puck at the left point and she sent a high wrist shot through traffic over Rooney's glove into the far, top corner.
“We're just absolutely relentless," Healey said. "This whole playoff stretch, we've really shown that we never gave up. We had a good response every time they got a goal.”
It was the fourth straight playoff win by one goal for third-seeded Boston, which swept second-seeded Montreal 3-0 with all three games decided in overtime.
Boston forward Amanda Pelkey, left, celebrates in front of Minnesota forward Liz Schepers, center, after Boston scored during the second period in Game 1 of a PWHL hockey championship series, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Lowell, Mass. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
Minnesota went on the power play just 10 seconds into the game and although that didn't produce a goal, it set a tone for pressure that resulted in Michela Cava's goal less than five minutes in. Susanna Tapani, who had two of the overtime winners in the semifinals, scored the equalizer for Boston 2 1/2 minutes later.
That set the stage for a wild second period that featured five goals.
After Heise scored for Minnesota at 8:04, Taylor Wenczkowski and Hannah Brandt connected 2:21 apart and Boston led 3-2 with 4:49 remaining in the period.
Heise tied it again about 2 minutes later but that just set the stage for Healey.
Boston forward Amanda Pelkey (16) and Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle (13) crash into the boards during the third period in Game 1 of a PWHL hockey championship series Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Lowell, Mass. Credit: AP/Steven Senne
Rooney had 18 saves for Minnesota.
Both teams finished with 35 points in the regular season and didn't secure a playoff berth until the closing days. Boston beat Minnesota three times in five games and had the tiebreaker for the third seed. Minnesota won three straight to beat league champion Toronto 3-2 in the semifinals.