A PWHL Finals Preview: Minnesota vs. Boston

With the regular season and two thrilling semis series in the books, Boston and Minnesota are the last two squads standing from the six-team field.

Just like the semifinals, the finals series will be best-of-five, with the better seed (Boston) hosting Games 1, 2 and (if necessary) 5 and Minnesota hosting Games 3 and (if necessary) 4.

• The same postseason rules apply with the trophy on the line: if the game is tied after the three 20-minute periods, the teams will play 15-minute sudden death overtime (OT) periods until one team scores. Stressful in the best way.

How they got here: Faith, trust, and pixie dust — kidding, but it did take some late-season magic for Boston to even reach the playoffs. Their postseason hopes looked all but dashed coming out of the February international break, but Boston defied the odds by winning four of their last five regular-season games.

• And that grit extended to the playoffs, where Boston swept No. 2 Montréal by winning not one, not two, but three (!!!) feisty OT battles. No quit in this squad.

Players to watch: It all starts with goaltender Aerin “green monster” Frankel, who boasts an astounding .972 save percentage in the postseason, not to mention two games with over 50 saves. Boston entered the playoffs as the lowest scoring team, but it’s been no matter for Frankel and her heroics.

• The other name to know is Susanna Tapani (who was notably traded from Minnesota to Boston in January). The Finnish forward netted two of Boston’s OT game-winners vs. Montréal, including the goal that punched their Finals ticket. She’s so golden.

Key to success: Keep things close. Boston’s proven thrice over that they can win when the pressure’s on. In fact, they had the most one-goal wins of any team this season. If Frankel can keep them in it (as she’s done all playoffs long), watch for Boston’s clutch scorers (aka Team USA captain Hilary Knight and Swiss star Alina Müller) to come through in a big way.

How they got here: After enjoying success early in the regular season, Minnesota came sputtering into the playoffs on a five-game losing streak. And that trend continued early in their semis with Toronto as they were shut out in Games 1 and 2.

• But after the league’s top scorer, Toronto’s Natalie Spooner, exited the series in Game 3 due to injury, Minny came roaring back, winning Games 3 and 4 at home before ultimately eliminating the team that chose to play them in the semis. Nothing they do better than revenge.

Players to watch: Who else but captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, who has two points this postseason, including a critical assist in Minnesota’s series-clinching victory. Schofield’s signature scoring has dipped a bit in the postseason, but her veteran presence (and speed) has been crucial for this young Minnesota squad.

• And in between the pipes, Minnesota’s semis turnaround came with Maddie Rooney (.979 save percentage) holding it down, despite Nicole Hensley handling the bulk of the action in the regular season. Time will tell how they manage the goalie tandem in the ’ship.

Key to success: Ride the momentum…and the power play strength. From a seven-game losing streak to a three-game heater, it’s been a rollercoaster stretch for Minnesota. But they’re flying high heading into the finals, partially thanks to a power play unit that came alive in Game 5.

• They’ll have to capitalize, especially against a Boston team that’s struggled with their penalty kill.

A rematch of both teams' season-openers, this historic finals matchup is sure to be a doozy — Boston and Minnesota met five times in the regular season, with Boston holding a narrow 3-2 series edge.

• The puck drops on Game 1 this evening at 5 p.m. ET with all the finals action airing on TSN for Canadian viewers and on the league’s YouTube channel for those not in the Great White North. Walter Cup winner, incoming.