Boston’s Muller scores OT winner to end controversial Game 4 of PWHL final

You couldn’t have drawn it up any better.

A chance to clinch the first-ever Walter Cup. Billie Jean King herself in the house. The largest crowd of the playoffs. An overtime goal to win the championship on home ice. A historic moment in hockey history.

Or so we thought.

Game 4 of the PWHL final was an instant classic between Boston and Minnesota. The game was scoreless through three periods, as Aerin Frankel and Nicole Hensley went save-for-save through 60 minutes and beyond. Their great play carried into overtime, as neither team was able to score for over 97 minutes.

Then, late in the second overtime, Minnesota’s Taylor Heise drove to the net, catching an edge and falling into Frankel. As the play continued, Sophie Jaques put the puck in the back of the net, seemingly giving Minnesota the win, and the Walter Cup.

However, while Minnesota and the 13,104 inside Xcel Energy Center celebrated, the officials reviewed the call and deemed that Heise interfered with Frankel. In a very 2019-like fashion, the goal was overturned.

Boston head coach Courtney Kessel was pretty confident that the goal shouldn’t have counted.

“I didn’t think it was over,” Kessel said after the game. “I thought it was goalie interference…so you challenge, and kind of wait.”

“I didn’t really know what happened,” Frankel admitted. “Other than the fact that I was pushed, but I didn’t know who pushed me into the net. It all kind of happened very fast. After seeing the replay, I was confident that they would maybe overturn it. I’m glad they made the right call.”

The air was sucked out of the building, and Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield stated that it was hard to get refocused after something like that.

“Obviously, it’s a high-of-a-high,” Coyne Schofield explained. “To having to balance out the situation and get back to work. It’s not easy to come down from by any means in an instant but that’s what we had to do.” 

Just over a minute after play resumed, Alina Müller ripped a shot over the glove of Rooney to give Boston the 1-0 win, sending the series to a decisive Game 5.

It was Müller’s second goal in as many games.

Similar to what Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk did in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Müller inspired her team to get off the ice quickly and celebrate in walk-off fashion.

It was Boston’s fourth overtime win of the playoffs. Each of their three semifinal victories over Montreal came in extra time.

Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said his team is trying to move on from a roller-coaster affair.

“It’s just one of those things that happens,” Klee said. “We had lots of chances to win the game. So, for us, we get to play another game and that’s the way we have to look at it.  It wasn’t a do-or-die for us, but obviously, it hurt going from a big high, where the confetti is going and the gloves are coming off…and then you have to try to refocus. It hurt but now we go back to work.” 

As the final score would suggest, the game was incredibly tight. The shots ended up tied, 33-33, with neither side dominating the shot count in any of the five periods.

Frankel was masterful in net once again, posting her first shutout of the playoffs thanks to her fifth 30-plus save performance in this postseason. The U.S. National Team star has not been scored on in seven overtime periods.

Kessel explained why Frankel has been the backbone of this team during their incredible second half of the regular season, and into the postseason.

“She’s the Green Monster,” Kessel said. “Her ability to stay calm through all these ups and downs. Her ability to keep us in games, and win games for us, that’s what you want heading into the championship. If you have a hot goalie, you can win.”

Hensley made 32 saves in just her second loss of the playoffs.

Minnesota went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Boston failed to score on its three chances. Boston is now a stunning 0-for-15 with the player advantage in these playoffs.

Game 5 will be at a sold-out Tsongas Center in Lowell. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.