Kristen Campbell will be the first to tell you her second year in the PWHL has been a bit of a roller-coaster.
But it’s been a couple of weeks now that things have been levelling out for the league’s inaugural season goaltender of the year and Sunday in Minnesota may have been her best yet as she stood tall in a 2-1 Toronto win over the host Frost.
Campbell, who has been splitting time with rookie Raygan Kirk of late, turned aside 22 of 23 shots including three wide open breakaways by the Frost. In order of denials, Campbell turned aside Grace Zumwinkle, Klara Hymlarova and Liz Schepers. All were in alone and all were left frustrated by the Toronto keeper whose confidence has been growing by the game.
With the win, the Sceptres extended their win streak to six games and now have points in each of their past nine.
Minnesota came out with a ton of energy and turned it into the game’s first goal. Rookie defender Rylind McKinnon attempted to go behind her net and up the boards but her pass got picked off by Frost forward Dominique Petrie.
Petrie got the puck out front to unchecked veteran forward Micheala Cava who didn’t miss, calmly lifting the puck over Campbell’s glove for an early Minnesota lead.
The Frost was its own worst enemy on the Sceptres’ tying goal putting Toronto’s red-hot power play on a five-minute advantage when Brooke McQuigge got her elbow up and on to the head of Allie Munroe, drawing the major for contact with the head.
Toronto, which had scored on the power play in eight consecutive games, made it nine using most of the five minutes before the second power play unit struck with Emma Maltais beating Maddie Rooney high over her shoulder for her fourth of the year.
The game-winner, though, came from Jesse Compher who enjoyed a two-point night with a secondary assist on the Matais marker, as well.
Compher was the beneficiary of some strong work by Hayley Scamura who just missed scoring herself before fighting off multiple Minnesota checkers to hit Compher in stride in the slot who buried the open chance for her seventh of the year.