PWHL Minnesota still has plenty of players who need grades, and this report card is focused on the defensive core. This time, all of the attention was on Maggie Flaherty, one of the defenders who found her offensive side in both the regular season and the postseason. She made an impact from the beginning of the season to the end, which will be reflected in her grade.
She was one of the few PWHL Minnesota defenders who could help offensively, which is exactly what the team needed in its offensive struggle. In this article, we’ll examine Flaherty’s performance in the regular season and the postseason and then come up with an overall grade. We’ll start with how she did in the regular season and move on.
Flaherty Can Assist
Like many of her defensive teammates, Flaherty played with her head up and was aware of her surroundings. She kept opponents to the outside and also kept an eye on the front of the net to make sure no one snuck behind her. Unlike many of her defensive teammates, she wasn’t afraid to jump up into the offensive zone regardless of the risk.
If she was burned by an opponent, she worked twice as hard to get back and defend. While she wasn’t afraid to jump into the zone, she also wasn’t afraid to drop down and block a shot with her full body. Again, like many of her teammates, she embraced the more physical side of the PWHL and threw hits when she could.
She’s a strong defender, but she also proved her offensive side. In 24 games played she had one goal and five assists for six points. Flaherty also wasn’t afraid to take shots when she could as she had 33 shots on net, which put her in the top 10 on the roster and ahead of some of her forward teammates.
After reviewing her performance during the regular season, she earned an A. She was able to perform at the top level defensively and also contributed offensively, something not all defenders can do successfully.
Flaherty Stays Defensive
Flaherty kept her game mostly the same going into the postseason; however, her offense took a slight hit. She played in 10 games and had just one point, which was a game-winning goal that helped turn the series, plus nine shots on goal. Thankfully, her defensive side stayed the same, but her time on ice dropped from the regular season. She went from an average of over 16 minutes a game to under 16 minutes in the postseason.
That time on ice change was likely part of the reason her offense didn’t stay higher, but she didn’t let it stop her from playing her best. She continued to use her physicality to keep players away from the front of the net and also to win board battles. She didn’t stop taking shots either; she just had fewer chances to take them.
She tried to carry the puck end to end, and when it ended in a small bout of fisticuffs, she didn’t back down. Looking over her performance in the postseason, she earned an A- which may sound funny, given that they won the Walter Cup. While she kept up her defense, she let her offense slide, and while less time on ice contributed to that, she needs to be a little more offensive-minded like Taylor Heise.
Flaherty’s Overall Grade
Comparing her two grades and performances, she earned an A. While she could’ve contributed more in the postseason, she wasn’t given the best chance to do that either. She had a strong regular season both offensively and defensively, and her postseason stayed impressive defensively as well.
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Now that they know what it takes to win the Walter Cup this coming season, it’ll be interesting to see how the team and Flaherty adjust their play to win more regular season games and go after the Walter Cup again. Hopefully, she can find a way to stay consistent offensively and time on the ice as well.
