ANALYSIS – The Minnesota Frost’s passing and faceoff wins were the two big reason why Minnesota won the game at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Frost were also fantastic in the third period and made sure the Toronto Sceptres had limited goal-scoring opportunities.
Minnesota Frost’s Passing Played a Big Role in Win
The Minnesota Frost Won a Lot of Faceoffs
A big reason why the Toronto Sceptres had trouble getting more scoring opportunities was the faceoff wins for the Frost. It prevented Toronto from getting more goals in the second period and nullified Toronto’s attack in the third period. In fact, when looking at the periods, these were the stats:
- Won ten straight faceoffs in the second period.
- Won twelve faceoffs in the third period.
Faceoffs are incredibly important, as it can change the momentum of the game. It was also a reason why the Sceptres did not have many great scoring chances in the third period.
A Game to Remember for Britta Curl-Salemme
Britta Curl-Salemme had a game to remember that she will never forget. On Saturday, Curl-Salemme scored her two first-ever goals with her national team.
- Her first goal came when Curl-Salemme found herself in a fantastic position to score as Taylor Heise delivered a fantastic pass to Curl-Salemme, who one-timed it into the back of the net.
- Curl-Salemme’s second goal was a stoppable shot that the Toronto Sceptres goaltender, Kristen Campbell, felt she should have stopped. However, credit to Curl-Salemme, who did not give up and put the puck into the back of the net.
When the Toronto Sceptres head coach, Troy Ryan stated, that the first of the two goals scored by Curl-Salemme changed the momentum of the game (Source: The Canadian Press):
“The way the end of that second period went with us scoring a goal and getting high and then them scoring a goal, that’s ultimately where the game was won for them and lost for us, not able to rebound and respond from that shift in momentum,” Toronto coach Troy Ryan said. “And a lot of times that can cost you a game.”
A lot of credit should also be given to Michela Cava, who scored two goals for Minnesota.
Minnesota Frost Were Fantastic with Their Passing and Positioning
The biggest reason why Minnesota won this game was their passing and positioning. Their ability to constantly put themselves in fantastic positions to score and expose Toronto’s defence was seen all game long. Some examples of this include:
- Claire Butorac’s goal is the best example of passing and positioning. Minnesota had multiple shots from many different angles, before Butorac put the puck into the back of the net.
- Taylor Heise delivered a fantastic pass to Dominique Petrie for a fantastic goal.
Other examples include:
- Minnesota Frost captain, Coyne Schofield, had a glorious chance in front of Toronto’s net.
- Claire Thompson had a chance right in front of goal late in the second period.
These types of chances could be seen throughout the game, and it was a team effort, as the Minnesota Frost, Ken Klee, said:
“Britta scored a couple of big goals, but we had a lot of players making plays,” Frost coach Klee said. “Every line was making plays. Every line was going, so it’s a lot of fun.”
This includes Taylor Heise, who assisted in three of Minnesota’s six goals against Toronto on Saturday.
Other Factors: The Toronto Sceptres Did Not Have a Complete Game
The Sceptres did not have a 60-minute game. Sure, there were brilliant moments in the game such as Daryl Watts’s goal as seen above. However, there were times when Toronto did not generate many scoring chances and were dominated by Minnesota. This was clearly seen at the start of the game and in the third period.
The Sceptres’ defence could also be improved upon as there were many clear-cut scoring chances for the Frost in dangerous areas of the ice.
Saying that, there are also positives for the Sceptres, Jesse Compher scored two goals for her team, including the first one, which seemed to end Toronto’s sluggish start to the game.
READ MORE: Toronto Sceptres’ Relentless Pressure Led To Home-Opening Win
Games To Look Forward to With Both Teams
READ MORE: 2024-25 Toronto Sceptres Season: Looking for Redemption
Both teams are on international break as both PWHL teams are off for more than one week. For the Sceptres, their next game will be on Wednesday, December. 18 against the New York Sirens at 7:00pm EST (6:00pm CST) at the Prudential Center before hosting the Montreal Victoire at 2:00pm EST (1:00pm CST) on December 21. The Sirens game will be televised live on TSN and MSG while the Victoire game will be televised nationally on CBC.
This is while the Minnesota Frost will host the Ottawa Charge at 7:00pm CST (8:00pm EST) on December 19 and the New York Sirens on December 22 at 11:00pm EST (12:00pm EST). The game against the Charge will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN, while the game against the Sirens will be televised on TSN and the MSGSN2.
Photo Credit: Minnesota Frost X Account on December 7, 2024.