It all comes down to this: Game 5 of the best-of-five series in the PWHL Finals between PWHL Minnesota and PWHL Boston at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Wednesday night, May 29. PWHL Boston won Game 1, then PWHL Minnesota fought back to tie the series at one game a piece. Then, PWHL Minnesota took the series lead with a Game 3 win, but PWHL Boston fought back and won Game 4 to bring us to Game 5, all tied at two games a piece.
It’s been an amazing inaugural season for the PWHL, and it’s fitting that they push it to the brink by having the Walter Cup battled for so closely. It shows how talented their teams truly are and how equal the competition is. PWHL Minnesota has a lot of work to do, but they can come out on top if they do a few basic things. The first thing they have to do is focus on playing simple, and that’s where we’ll start.
PWHL Minnesota Needs to Keep it Simple
PWHL Minnesota was successful in Game 3 because they kept things simple and got the puck to the net as quickly as possible. In Game 4, they tried to get fancy, but PWHL Boston was always ready. If they took it straight to the net instead of stopping on the outer edge, they’d have better chances, and this is something they’ll have to do in Game 5.
The same idea can be applied to their power play, as they worried too much about making the perfect pass for the perfect shot instead of just throwing the puck in and going for the rebounds. The power play is the best chance to score, and while PWHL Minnesota has struggled with it all season, they have to find a way to make it successful if they want to win the Walter Cup.
They must go back to one step at a time, win the faceoff back to the point, and take the shot. There’s no need for extra passes unless they can see their main path is blocked. However, if they move fast enough, they can get the shot off before anyone gets in their way.
PWHL Minnesota Needs Their Stars
It almost goes without saying that a team needs its star players to win games, and PWHL Minnesota has an incredible amount of depth in its roster. Every player has a role on the team, and they fulfill it well. However, they need their stars to score goals in big games where everything is on the line.
Their top line of Michela Cava, Taylor Heise, and Kendall Coyne-Schofield has found ways to be successful during the series but during Game 4 they struggled to get anything going. They tried and tried but kept getting shut down. In Game 5, they need this line to find a way to score and keep pressing.
However, if the first line can’t get going, they’ll need other players like Grace Zumwinkle, Kelly Pannek, and others to help. They can rely on their stars, but it should be an all-around team effort to get past PWHL Boston.
PWHL Minnesota’s Goaltending Needs to be Perfect
PWHL Minnesota hasn’t been let down yet when it comes to goaltending. While they have lost two games, it wasn’t on their goaltenders’ shoulders. They’ve both made save after save and kept their team in games this postseason. However, in Game 5, whoever is in net must be ready to make even bigger saves.
Related: PWHL Minnesota Falls to Boston in Double OT Despite Many Chances
Both teams will take bigger risks, as everything ends with this game, and there’s no reason not to leave everything on the ice. We’ll likely see some bigger shots and more elaborate moves that the goaltending must be ready for. Luckily for PWHL Minnesota, both goaltenders are top-notch and ready for the challenge. Hopefully, they can get a shutout and carry their team to the biggest win of the season.
PWHL Minnesota Can Come Out on Top
If PWHL Minnesota can stick to their game and keep things simple, they can get past PWHL Boston. They’re great at staying composed and not straying too far from their game other than passing too much. They’ve been able to keep a level head despite some high-tension moments, and they’ll need to focus on that. Hopefully, they can do these things and bring the Walter Cup back home to Minnesota.
