The number one seed PWHL Toronto elected to play the fourth seed Minnesota in the first round. In the regular season series, Toronto won the last 3 of 4 matchups; on January 10th, Minnesota won 3-1, but Toronto would win 4-1 (Feb 3rd), 4-3 (Feb 27th), and 4-1 (May 1st) in the next three matchups. Toronto finished the season strong, going 8-2 in the last 10 games while leading the league in wins, goals for, fewest goals against and a whopping +19 goal differential. On the flip side, Minnesota struggled, losing their last five games of the season and narrowly making the playoffs with an Ottawa loss to Toronto in the final game. To frame their respective arcs in a broader context, Minnesota was in the top two for most of the season before their descent, while Toronto surged from the league basement to the top of the standings.

Natalie Spooner has been a force all season for Toronto, as she led the regular season in goals (20), points (27), power play goals (7) and game-winning goals (5) while also only taking 4 PIM and having the 3rd highest +/- with 11.  Sarah Nurse, Emma Maltais, and Hannah Miller have also provided excellent scoring forward depth. Sarah Nurse finished the season on fire, ending the year tied for 2nd in the league in both goals and assists. Defencemen Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque have contributed to the offense with their fast skating and ability to transition the puck from their defensive zone posting 13 and 10 points respectively. Another one of their biggest strengths this season has been goaltender Kristen Campbell (aka Soupy). She played the 2nd most minutes this season, led the league in wins with 16 (7 more than Maschmeyer in 2nd), posted the 2nd lowest GAA at 1.99, and had the most shutouts with 3. 

In Minnesota, all eyes will be on Grace Zumwinkle. Zumwinkle had an impressive season, scoring eleven goals and tallying eight assists for nineteen points, while scoring the 2nd most goals (11) and the second-most game winning goals. Kendall Coyne Scofield and Kelly Pannek each tallied 16 points while Taylor Heise gathered up 13 points in 19 games and defenseman Sophie Jacques posted 10 points. For much of the season, the goalie tandem of Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley were dominant. They finished 4th and 5th in GAA, posted save percentages of 91.5% and 91.9 and combined to give up the second fewest goals in the league, only 4 more than Kristen Campbell. 

Special teams are going to be a significant factor in this series. Both power plays were middle to bottom of the pack. Toronto’s PP ranked 4th with 15.71% while Minnesota ranked 5th at 8.2% On the flip side, Toronto’s penalty kill was excellent leading the league with 91.78% and Minnesota’s ranked last at 67.21% Both teams each have one top two players with the most shorthanded goals (2), Emma Maltais for Toronto and Grace Zumwinkle for Minnesota. Natalie Spooner also has a short handed goal on the season. Both teams have surpluses of skill, experience, and depth on their rosters. I’m expecting to see some highlight reel goals, high intensity puck battles and strong fundamental defense in this sure-to-be hard fought series.