PWHL Minnesota got a change of scenery Tuesday, playing Toronto at 3M Arena at Mariucci — across town from its usual home ice at Xcel Energy Center. That couldn’t lift the team out of its doldrums, as it fell 4-3 in overtime for its third consecutive loss.
Defender Sophie Jaques scored twice for Minnesota, including a blast from the center point with 21.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime. Sarah Nurse had given Toronto a 3-2 lead at 15 minutes of the third period, then scored the winner with 1:12 remaining in overtime. The victory was Toronto’s sixth in a row.
After Blayre Turnbull gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 5 minutes, 43 seconds of the first period, Jaques netted her first goal since being acquired via trade on Feb. 11. Her equalizer at 7:37 tied the score 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
The teams traded goals again in the second period, as Toronto regained the lead on Kali Flanagan’s power-play strike before Minnesota defender Natalie Buchbinder knotted it at 2-2. Nurse snared a rebound near the right goal post to beat goalie Nicole Hensley, then Jaques tied it up with Hensley pulled.
Minnesota outshot Toronto 30-24.
The game was the team’s first and only home contest played at a venue other than Xcel. That arena’s main tenant, the Wild, had a home game Tuesday, forcing PWHL Minnesota to find an alternative.
Mariucci was a familiar environment for the eight former Gophers on the two teams’ rosters. Seven Minnesota players spent their college hockey years next door at Ridder Arena. Olivia Knowles, part of Toronto’s third defensive pair, also played for the Gophers.