The combination of some early sloppiness by the Sceptres and the mere presence of Aerin Frankel in the Boston Fleet net was enough to stop Toronto’s momentum in its tracks.
Coming off a much-needed win in Ottawa and five games in which they dominated the majority of play, all that momentum came to a crashing halt in a 4-1 loss on Boston’s home ice.
Two Toronto giveaways in their own zone led to first-period goals by Alina Muller and Emily Brown, the first markers of the year for either player, and that was enough to suck the air out of the growing momentum this team has been building over the past few weeks after a slow start landed them in the basement of the league.
Frankel had to be at her very best in this one, and she was, or Toronto may have easily got back into this game.
After the Fleet carried the majority of the play in the first period with those two goals and outshooting Toronto narrowly, the Sceptres did what they have been doing for the better part of the last month and dominated the rest of the game in terms of scoring chances.
Over the final two periods, the Sceptres outshot the Fleet 28-13 over the final two periods but could only get one past Frankel with five minutes left in the game.
Kali Flanagan, who always seems to play her best when Boston is the opponent, used her speed to beat a Fleet defender wide and then hit a driving Blayre Turnbull with a perfect feed that the Sceptres’ captain deftly re-directly over Frankel’s shoulder with a textbook backhand.
That, though, would be the only blemish on Frankel’s night. The Boston goaltender turned aside 35 of the 36 shots she faced for a well-deserved win and first star of the game.
Toronto had plenty of chances, hitting two posts and a pair of breakaways, one a two-on-none that didn’t produce a shot when it rolled off the stick of Sarah Nurse, who was trying to feed Daryl Watts.
But it was that kind of night for the Sceptres, who again played well enough for two periods to win but put themselves in an early hole that proved insurmountable. Frankel, though, had a lot to say about that.
Muller, who has been snakebit all season after a strong rookie campaign, broke out of a season-long skid in this one with not just that first goal but two helpers as well.
It was Boston’s first home game since Dec. 17, and turned out to be quite the welcome home.
With the loss, Toronto remains in the basement and falls a full four points back of Boston for fifth in the PWHL standings.