During 14 seasons as an NHL defenseman, Ken Klee learned that every playoff series has its own distinct character. The PWHL Minnesota coach didn't expect things to be any different in the newest pro hockey league.
He saw that play out Sunday, when Minnesota opened the Walter Cup finals with a 4-3 loss at Boston. In the semifinals, goals were hard to come by, as Minnesota and Toronto combined for only 14 in five games. Minnesota and Boston scored half that total in Game 1 of the finals, signaling that this best-of-five set could be more wide-open.
Klee played in 51 NHL playoff games, so he knows how to adapt when the scenario changes. After a back-and-forth opener in the finals, he will adjust the game plan accordingly for Tuesday's Game 2 at Boston.
The game is at 6 p.m. on BSNX and YouTube.
"It's a new series, and we're going against new people now," Klee said. "It's a different look than what we had [in the semifinals].
"Hockey series are always going to take on their own identity, and now, we know what this is going to be like. And it's good."
The four goals were uncharacteristic for Boston, the PWHL's lowest-scoring team in the regular season. Coach Courtney Kessel said increased scoring has been a focal point for her group since league play resumed April 18 after a break for international play. Boston has lost only once in eight games since the break and is 4-0 in the playoffs, but it's scored two or fewer goals in six of those.
Minnesota also has struggled to score after the break, with a total of 14 goals in the 10 games before Sunday. But its top line is heating up, centered by a resurgent Taylor Heise. In the past two games, Heise has four goals and an assist, and her line provided all of Minnesota's scoring Sunday.
Heise said being down 1-0 in the series isn't a concern for a team that roared back from a 2-0 deficit in the semifinals.
"We're kind of used to it," she said. "Against Toronto, we never lost hope. We did some really good things [in Game 1], and there are some things we can do better."
In Game 1, Boston forced some turnovers, and it had stretches where it slowed down the Minnesota attack in the neutral zone. In Game 2, Minnesota will need to match Boston's physical play, continue relying on its speed and avoid repeating the defensive lapses that hurt the team in the opener.
Kessel wants Boston to get out to a better start after it took more than seven minutes to put a shot on goal in Game 1. She hopes it continues to respond to Minnesota goals the way it did Sunday. Boston twice erased one-goal deficits and scored the game-winner only 15 seconds after Minnesota tied the score.
