PWHL Minnesota sets aside heartbreak to prepare for decisive Game 5 in Walter Cup finals

Taylor Heise has played hockey long enough to know how cruel the game’s gods can be. The PWHL Minnesota forward never felt that sting as sharply as she did Sunday, when a championship-clinching goal was waved off.

Heise set up a Sophie Jaques score in the second overtime that momentarily ended Game 4 of the Walter Cup finals, setting off a wild celebration at Xcel Energy Center. Then officials disallowed the goal, citing goaltender interference. Boston quickly scored the winner, and the Walter Cup was packed up and sent to Lowell, Mass., for Wednesday’s deciding Game 5 (6 p.m. TV: FOX9+).

“We had it, and it got ripped away,” Heise said. “It’s tough, but there’s no time to feel bad. It’s playoff hockey. And we have one more game.”

Two days after Sunday’s double-overtime loss, Minnesota’s players were embracing the opportunity that came out of the ashes. Though the team hoped to end the series on home ice, with a Game 4 victory and a title, it quickly set aside the heartache of a 1-0 defeat and saw the situation in a brighter light.

Minnesota and Boston have taken the PWHL’s inaugural season as far as it could go, culminating in a scenario the league’s leaders could only dream of. A championship series stretched to the limit. A budding rivalry. A dramatic twist that pushed the buzz and emotion up to 11.

And, for Minnesota, one last chance to turn the tables on the hockey gods.

“This is not an obstacle,” Heise said. “It’s an honor. We get to play a championship Game 5.

“We couldn’t be more excited. We get one more game with this group, and we’re going to take full advantage of it.”

The game is at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on YouTube. Because of commitments to the Twins and Lynx it will not be shown on the Bally Sports North channels.

Minnesota traveled to Boston on Tuesday, after taking Monday off to rest and regroup. Sunday’s game lasted 98 minutes, 36 seconds, leaving players physically and emotionally spent.

Defender Lee Stecklein played 41:48. She got a good night’s sleep Sunday, then walked her dog and got treatment from the team’s training staff Monday.

“You can be sad or disappointed at not being able to close it out at home, with such an amazing crowd behind us,” she said. “But we have another game. So you flip that page. We’re in a good spot, and I think everyone is feeling really good.”

Minnesota split the first two games in Boston, then earned a 4-1 victory in Game 3. In the past three games, it has outscored Boston 7-2 behind an outstanding team defense led by goaltender Nicole Hensley, who has stopped 70 of 72 shots in the finals.

In a series pitting Minnesota’s speed against Boston’s physicality, neither team could gain an edge in Game 4. The stalemate turned into emotional whiplash in the second overtime. Heise slid into Boston goalie Aerin Frankel as Jaques scored, the on-ice officials signaled a goal, and Minnesota thought it had the Cup.

Heise feared the worst when the league initiated a review, and officials took several minutes to examine the video. Minnesota coach Ken Klee grabbed an iPad on the bench and looked at the replay. He didn’t disagree there was goaltender interference, and 70 seconds later, Alina Müller scored the winner for Boston.

“I’ve never been part of something like that,” Klee said. “Our players were hugging and jumping up and down. Some of them were crying. Then, it’s ‘Oops, sorry, no goal.’

“The good part is that we have another chance. And a Game 5 is great for the league and great for the sport.”

Minnesota has already won a Game 5 on the road in the playoffs, topping Toronto 4-1 to win the semifinal series. Heise said her team can lean on that experience, as well as others. Minnesota rallied to reach the finals after being shut out in its first two playoff games, and it has won twice this season in Boston, including a 3-0 shutout in Game 2 of the finals.

Boston captain Hilary Knight predicted a “wild atmosphere” for Game 5. Tsongas Center, with a capacity of 6,500, is sold out.

Knight said her team will try to savor the moment while staying focused on the task at hand.

“When you set out at the start of the season, this is the game you want to be in,” Knight said. “It’s been such a magical season, historic and transformative. What an honor to be here. It would mean a lot to be able to [win] this one in Boston.”

Heise is counting on Minnesota’s speed, skill and confidence to carry it through. After feeling the thrill of winning the Walter Cup for a fleeting moment, she and her teammates hope the hockey gods are with them this time.

“I don’t know if we could be any more determined,” Stecklein said. “Now, it’s one game. One game with everything on the line. We’re ready for it.”