SAINT PAUL, MN (March 5, 2024) – Denisa Křižová scored her first two goals of the season and added a shootout goal to help Minnesota edge Ottawa 4-3 at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.
With the win, Minnesota moves into a tie for first place in the PWHL with Montréal, who has two games in hand.
Křižová’s first goal of the season came at 11:22 of the first frame after the forward took a feed from Grace Zumwinkle on the rush and fired a wrist shot over Ottawa goaltender Sandra Abstreiter’s glove, giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead.
The 29-year-old—who entered the game with three assists— doubled her goal total at 8:51 of the third, tying the game 3-3 after Ottawa stormed back to take a lead in the second period.
Křižová once again utilized a quick wrist shot to beat Abstreiter up high, this time from the slot. Zumwinkle again provided the primary helper, with Kelly Pannek also recording an assist on the play.
Despite continued pressure in the third period, including putting 14 shots on Abstreiter in the frame, regulation time ended with the score at 3-3, which sent the game to overtime. Minnesota had a powerplay at the end of regulation and into overtime but couldn’t convert on the advantage.
It was the first shootout of the season for both Ottawa and Minnesota.
Křižová was the first shooter for Minnesota and put the puck in the back of the net for the third time in the game. Zumwinkle and Taylor Heise also scored in the shootout for Minnesota, while Ottawa’s Hayley Scamurra scored the lone tally for her team.
Minnesota’s win spoils a strong start for Abstreiter, who made 43 saves in just her second start of the season. She last started on January 24 against Boston but was forced to leave after just 17:37 of action due to injury.
Abby Boreen scored her fourth goal of the season at 7:23 of the first period to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield drew the assists on the play.
Boreen played the final game of her second 10-day contract of the season and has now totalled four goals and one assist in nine games.
After Křižová’s goal gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead, Ottawa responded quickly, scoring two goals before the end of the opening frame.
Scamurra got the visiting team on the board first with an unassisted powerplay goal at 12:41 after intercepting Minnesota’s clearing attempt in the slot. She quickly fired the puck past Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney, who was heavily screened.
Kateřina Mrázová evened the game at 2-2 at 15:26 with her fifth goal of the season, finishing a nice passing play by Brianne Jenner and Daryl Watts, who drew the assists.
Ottawa took their first lead of the game just 52 seconds into the second period when Mrázová scored her second tally of the game—and Ottawa’s second on the powerplay. Watts and Jenner recorded their second assists of the game on the play.
Rooney made 22 saves in the win— her second straight victory.
Up next, Ottawa continues their road trip when they visit Montréal for a tilt at Place Bell on Saturday, March 10. Minnesota returns to action next Wednesday, March 13 when they host Boston at Xcel Energy Center.
Postgame Quotes:
Minnesota head coach Ken Klee on the game: “It was kind of back and forth early, they had some chances before we took the lead. They played hard…they always play hard. There’s not a team in this league that doesn’t play hard and can’t beat anybody on any given night. If we don’t play well, and play clean, then they’re going to have scoring chances – and they did have some good looks. Maddie made a couple of big saves, and they also had a couple nice goals. It was a good hockey game.”
Denisa Křižová, on scoring twice and adding a shootout goal: “It feels good to be able to help the team tonight. We never give up, even if we’re down. We just keep believing in ourselves because every point in this league matters, so we definitely didn’t want to give up any. We had so many chances but they’re a great team and played well defensively. We just had to believe in ourselves to finish the game.”
Cassea Schols, Ottawa assistant coach, on what made the difference in the game: “I think it was a great hockey game. I think that we brought a lot of positives and focus on a lot of things that we have been talking a lot as a group to get better at. We just continue to fight to score goals. I think we battled through a big penalty kill in overtime and had a lot of chances in overtime as well. Overall, it was a great hockey game. We just have to keep working at finding ways to put more pucks in the net.”
Ottawa’s Hayley Scamurra on coming back from that early 0-2 deficit in the first period: “It was huge. It just showed a lot about the character of our group. We bounced back quicker than we have in games past. I was really proud of our group for that. We had the lead for a little bit, there. We need to learn to manage the game so that we can keep it.”
Notes:
- Attendance: 4,585 — Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN.
- Three Stars: 1) Denisa Křižová 2) Kateřina Mrázová 3) Abby Boreen
- Shots ended 46-25 in favor of Minnesota — They outshot Ottawa in every period, including overtime (11-9/16-10/14-4/5-2).
- Minnesota’s 46 shots on goal equals a season-high recorded on Jan. 24 in a 2-1 loss to Montréal.
- This is just the second time all season that Ottawa has been outshot.
- Minnesota’s Sophie Jaques led all players with nine shots on goal — Teammate Grace Zumwinkle finished second with eight.
- Emily Clark led all Ottawa players with five shots.
- Jaques’ nine shots is the most by a defender in a single game this season and ties Montréal’s Laura Stacey for the most by any player— Stacey had nine against Boston on Jan. 13.
- Ottawa was 2/4 on the powerplay — Minnesota was 0/2.
- Ottawa adds to their league best powerplay percentage, which now sits at 26.2% — Their 11 powerplay goals are three more than New York, who sits in second, clicking at a 19% rate on the advantage.
- With two assists in the game, Zumwinkle moves into a tie for third place in PWHL scoring with Toronto’s Natalie Spooner— She has 13 points, two behind Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin and three behind New York’s Alex Carpenter.
- Kelly Pannek’s third period assist gives her nine on the season, tying her with Boston’s Alina Müller for most in the PWHL — She also sits in a tie for fifth in league scoring with Müller, with 11 points.
- Both Pannek and Zumwinkle extended their point streaks to three games.
- Taylor Heise’s assist was her first point since Jan. 27 – She was playing in her second game since returning from a five-game absence due to injury.
- After recording two goals, Mrázová leads Ottawa in points (10) and ties teammate Gabbie Hughes for the team lead with six goals — She now sits in a seven-way tie for seventh in PWHL scoring with 10 points.
- Mrázová’s point streak now sits at five games (4G, 3A).
- Mrázová and Scamurra are tied for second in the league with three powerplay goals each.
- Brianne Jenner’s pair of helpers gives her six on the season which ties her with Emily Clark for the team lead — Both Jenner and Watts now move into a five-way tie for second in team scoring with eight points.
- Minnesota defender Lee Stecklein logged 27:08 of ice time, the most of any player in the game — Jaques finished second with at 25:59.
- Savannah Harmon led all Ottawa players, playing 25:55.
- Sandra Abstreiter’s 43 saves is tied for second most in a single game this season.
- Minnesota has won all four games between the two teams this season, with each game being decided by one goal.
- Ottawa has now lost all five games that have gone to extra time this season.
- Eleven of Minnesota’s games have been one-goal decisions.
- Minnesota (6-3-3-4) collects two points to tie Montréal atop the PWHL standings with 27 points.
- Ottawa (4-0-5-6) secures one point for the shootout loss, which gives them 17 points on the season — They sit in fifth place, one point ahead of New York and one behind Boston.
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