Toronto's Spooner adds to PWHL goal lead with hat trick in win over Boston
Minnesota moves back into 1st place with victory over Ottawa
Natalie Spooner scored a hat trick, Kristen Campbell earned her fourth straight win in goal and Toronto returned from the Professional Women's Hockey League's 10-day break on Wednesday night to pick up a 5-3 win in its first trip to Boston.
Spooner has five goals and an assist in her last two games, scoring twice with an assist in a 4-1 win over Minnesota in Toronto's final game before the break for national team play. She now has 10 goals, the most in the PWHL, and her 11 points ties her with New York's Alex Carpenter for the league lead.
Sarah Nurse got Toronto on the board in the first period, beating Boston's Emma Söderberg at the 14:13 mark.
Spooner scored on a Toronto power play at the 11:49 mark of the second period, making a deke on front of Söderberg before beating her glove-side. Nurse jumped on a loose puck in the slot and steered a pass directly behind her to an open Spooner, who punched the puck home with three minutes left in the period to carry a 3-0 lead into the third.
WATCH l Spooner's hat trick propels Toronto past Boston:
Jamie Lee Rattray got Boston on the board six minutes in to the final period, poking home a rebound from a crowd in front of Campbell, but Toronto answered when Kal Flanagan rocketed a screened slapshot from the point home to push it back to a three-goal lead. Hannah Brandt scored a minute later to get Boston back within two.
Campbell is 5-4 in goal for Toronto after stopping 32 of 35 shots.
Söderberg (2-2) made 13 saves on 18 shots for Boston.
The full schedule of PWHL games airing on CBC Sports this season is available here.
WATCH l Spooner on Canada winning Rivalry Series, PWHL Toronto's turnaround:
Minnesota tops Ottawa
Maggie Flaherty drilled a slapshot from the point past Emerance Maschmeyer for the game-winning goal as host Minnesota came from behind to beat Ottawa, 2-1 Wednesday night to move into first place in the PWHL.
After being the league's first team to win on home ice and the first to win back-to-back home games, Minnesota had dropped its last two games at home and returned from the league's 10-day break for national team play in second place, two points behind Montreal.
Playing its first game of the season on U.S. ice. Ottawa took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Amanda Boulier five minutes into the game, but Minnesota goalkeeper Maddie Rooney did not allow a goal over the final 55 minutes.
WATCH l Flaherty nets winner against Ottawa:
Abby Boreen evened the game at 1-1 with an unassisted goal less than three minutes into the second period. Flaherty's slapshot from the point came less than four minutes into the third period for her first goal of the season.
Defender Sophie Jaques had two shots in her debut with Minnesota after being acquired from Boston, joining former Ohio State teammates Clair DeGeorge and Liz Schepers, all members of the 2022 National Championship Buckeyes.
Rooney made 23 saves on 24 shots to earn the win, lowering her goals-against-average to 1.96, behind only Montreal's Elaine Chuli (1.31) and Boston's Aerin Frankel (1.91) amongst PWHL netminders.
Maschmeyer made 22 saves on 24 shots for Ottawa.
