Minnesota Frost top Ottawa Charge for back-to-back PWHL championships
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Former NHLer Riley Cote explains that while he sees the Carolina Hurricanes as a strong, consistent team -- the Florida Panthers are 'just a different animal.'
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Minnesota captured its second consecutive PWHL championship on Monday, as Liz Schepers' goal 12 minutes into overtime gave the Frost a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Frost won the best-of-five finals 3-1, as all four games were decided by 2-1 scores in overtime — including Minnesota's victory in triple overtime on Saturday.
On the winning tally, Katy Knoll passed out front to Schepers, who fired a quick shot from the slot that Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips saved. Schepers then knocked in the rebound. Klara Hymiarova also got an assist.
Schepers also had the title-winning goal when Minnesota claimed the Walter Cup in the league's first season in 2024.
Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in the clincher, won five straight playoff games to tie the league record for victories in a single postseason.
Philips made 36 saves on 38 shots. She was voted the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP as she led all goalies with a 1.15 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage through eight starts. The rookie posted four playoff victories, one of them a shutout, and did not drop a game in regulation.
Minnesota's Kelly Pannek opened the scoring at the 10:10 mark of the second period, with assists to Claire Thompson and Grace Zumwinkle. It was Pannek's second goal of the playoffs.
The Charge evened the score on Tereza Vanisova's goal at 10:09 of the third period. Danielle Serdachny and Jocelyne Larocque assisted.
Vanisova led Ottawa with 15 regular-season goals but went eight games into the playoffs without a score, finally tallying on her 33rd shot on target.
After playing penalty-free hockey in both the second and third periods, the teams were assessed offsetting two-minute minors for roughing at 8:01 of overtime.
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