The Minnesota Frost went on the road to face the Toronto Sceptres in Game 1 of Round 1 on Wednesday evening, May 7. The Frost went into the game on a two-game win streak and looked to make it three. They had a full roster, and Nicole Hensley was back in the net. They had a strong effort, but the Sceptres got on the board first.
The Sceptres continued to score goals in the second and third periods. The Frost answered back with one in the second and then one more in the final period to get within one. They pushed through those final minutes to try to tie the game, but they couldn’t get the puck to go in and fell 3-2. The Frost played a strong game despite the loss, and we’ll look at what happened, starting with their goaltender.
Hensley Strong Despite Goals
When a goaltender lets in three goals, it usually doesn’t look good on the defense or the goaltender, but this wasn’t on Hensley’s shoulders. Sure, she likely wants every goal back, but one was on the power play, and she didn’t have the help she should’ve. The other two goals were slightly on her, but she didn’t let them affect her mindset.
She made many big stops to allow her team to step up, especially during a five-minute major taken by Britta Curl-Salemme. Hensley made some impressive stops and was all over the net, and didn’t look like a goaltender who had allowed three goals. Again, she didn’t make any big mistakes that led to those goals and didn’t collapse once they got behind.
She kept the Sceptres to three goals when it could’ve been more, while her team found a way to climb back into the game. Hopefully, if the Frost decides to keep her in for Game 2, she will be able to dig deep and continue to make those big saves and help bounce back from this loss.
Frost’s Jaques Stepped Up
She may not have scored any goals, and the team did lose, but Sophie Jaques put in a great effort from start to finish. She stepped up big on the penalty kill, especially the five-minute major, when she made a number of blocks and stick checks that kept the Sceptres from making it 4-0. She was so good defensively, but she also tried to contribute offensively.
She took four shots on goal, and although none of them made it through to the back of the net, she still forced her way to get chances. She also had five hits that contributed on both sides of the puck offensively and defensively, which really shows the asset she is to the Frost, as well as her team-leading 24 minutes of ice time.
If the Frost want to get back into this series, they’re going to need more from Jaques, and hopefully, her teammates can follow her lead. Her effort was some of the best on the team, and if she keeps pushing, she’ll get rewarded.
Frost Need to Stick With Their Effort
Although they lost, the Frost have to be proud of their efforts with the exception of getting down 3-0. Regardless, of the score they played the same throughout the whole game and the goals were not a result of a lack of effort but rather bad positioning. When the Frost watch the replays from their game, hopefully they will see the mistakes that were made and see that they can fix it.
They had a lot of good shots on goal, and overall, the effort was there. If they take it up another step, they’ll be hard to beat. One area they need to be careful with is the physicality. Curl-Salemme ended up out of the game, and the Frost can’t have that happen, especially in a postseason game, so they need to keep their play in check.
Related: 3 Things the Frost Need to Get Past the Sceptres in Round 1
Hopefully, they’ve learned from their mistakes and know what areas they did well in to focus on for Game 2. It truly was more of a one-goal game than the 3-0 score originally eluded to, and the Frost have a chance to win not only Game 2 but the series as well. Some production from Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle would help a lot as well.
Frost Can Win
The Frost showed they can mount a comeback, even if it did fall short. They were down 3-0 at one point, and while many teams would’ve given up, the Frost didn’t. They fought back, got within a goal, and nearly tied the game in the final seconds. Hopefully, that effort motivates them to push hard and come out with a Game 2 win on Friday, May 9.
