Your Boston Fleet welcomed in the Toronto Sceptres to the Tsongas Center yesterday afternoon for a tilt between the 2nd and 3rd ranked clubs in the standings. This game had the feel of a playoff game and for all tense and purpose it was a dress rehearsal as each team had 3 games remaining heading into the matinee.
At the end of 60 it was the hometown team picking up the regulation win and the all important 3 points in the standings. With only 2 points now separating the Fleet from the Sceptres, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these 2 squads squared up again once the playoffs start. And what a boost to get this W with the Fleet missing some key players, but more on that later.
Klara Peslarová took the net for the Fleet with Aerin Frankel sidelined (if you watched the World’s, it’s not much of a surprise why the Green Monstah is needing a few days off) and in the Toronto net? Who else but Kristen Campbell. So with Peslarová making her first start (of her pro career) and Campbell making her 20th start of the year, I’m sure the betting lines favored TOR.
And in case you missed it: here’s the clip of the Monstah on the Monster? A meeting of the Monstahs? A Fleet of Monsters? The Adventures of Aerin and Wally?
Alright, back to the game.
With less than 3mins played, the Fleet scored the only goal they’d need on the day. Lexie Adzija finished off a sweet feed from Jamie Lee Rattray behind the Toronto net. Rattray and (welcome back!) Kelly Babstock hunted the puck down in the RW corner and forced the turnover with Rattray gathering the puck behind Campbell’s net. Rattray fed the puck to her left, back against the grain, and as Campbell looked over her right shoulder for the puck, Adzija put it home off Campbell’s left leg pad for the game-winner.
I honestly don’t know how Babstock didn’t get an apple on this one; but Babs if you’re reading this c’mon the podcast and let’s chat about it?
Just past midway in the opening frame, the Fleet doubled it up off the stick of Hannah Brandt. Hannah Bilka gained the TOR zone and found Megan Keller in the RW corner with a great feed to the defenseman’s tape. Keller dragged the puck around the RW circle and drifted back up the wall with possession allowing the Fleet to invert and get traffic in front of Campbell’s net. Keller then threaded the needle through 4 TOR defender’s sticks and put the puck onto Brandt’s backhand. She’s not missing from that spot. 2-0 Fleet.
The score held until the first intermission as the physicality ramped up as everyone re-introduced themselves. The middle frame saw both teams with chances, but neither could solve the other’s netminder. There were a lot of long stretches with no whistles and up and down play, something that made this hockey fan’s viewing experience very enjoyable. It looked like the teams were going to carry the same score headed into the final frame.
Until they weren’t. With just a few ticks left to play in the 2nd, the Fleet got on the board again, this time courtesy of Theresa Schafzahl. A late power play saw Boston on the attack and after a quick regroup in their own end; the Fleet gained the Sceptre’s zone with possession. Loren Gabel carried into the zone and dropped the puck to Rattray and then continued down the slot to drive the net. Schafzahl had her stick open and ready while Rattray had her head up the whole way and put the puck perfectly for Schafzahl’s re-direct. 3-0 Fleet.
That score held until the final horn sounded and the Fleet sent their fans home happy into a rainy Saturday afternoon. Boston travels to Montreal for a Monday matchup while Toronto hosts New York on Tuesday.
A great showing by the squad pulling together in the face of some adversity on the injury front. Alina Müller and Amanda Pelkey were assigned to LTIR with Müller sustaining an injury at the Worlds’ while Pelkey was injured vs. OTT before the IIHF Women’s Worlds league-wide break. In corresponding moves, the Fleet activated Babstock, Bilka and Hadley Harmetz with Jillian Dempsey moving to the Reserve Player List.
While Frankel is reported to be available for Monday’s game vs. MTL, this was Peslarová’s first PWHL victory and she (rightly) earned herself the 1st star and player of the game for the shutout. Apparently, she’s a bit of a foodie too?
And here’s some more footage of the team visiting Fenway.
If you’re still reading, please check out the Breaking The Glass Hockey Podcast at some point. We’re lining up guests, doing our research and working on providing coverage of the women’s game from the NCAA to the Worlds to the PWHL. If there’s a women’s game, we hope to have eyes on it and be able to share it with you. We’re on all socials @BTGHockeyPod and our new website will be live soon! The latest podcast episode is available on all platforms.
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