And then there were two.

The first-ever PWHL Walter Cup Finals will begin on Sunday, with Boston and Minnesota preparing to compete in a best-of-five series.

Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl give their takes and predictions for what it is going to happen in the inaugural championship series.

Who are you more surprised made it to the finals?

Hunter: Minnesota, and by a long shot. I was at Game 1, and Toronto outclassed them in every way. In Game 2, it was tighter, but the same result — Toronto just looked like a team in a different stratosphere. Think about how they looked before the postseason! They lost every game since the international break, and only made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season because Ottawa didn’t win in regulation! All the credit to Minnesota for storming back and pulling off the reverse sweep, but goodness, I’m still floored. 

Tyler: Minnesota, for sure. How does a team go from losing five straight games during the regular season, and getting shut out in the first two games of a playoff series, to reverse-sweeping the best team in the league? Minnesota looked like they were done for, but thanks to an outstanding effort from Maddie Rooney in net, production from their third line and excellent shutdown defense on home ice, Minnesota is here. 

Which player has surprised you so far?

Hunter: One player who I felt was buzzing in their three wins against Toronto was Liz Schepers. She assisted on both of Minnesota’s goals in Game 3, then made the between-the-legs pass to Claire Butorac for the OT-winner in Game 4, but I just felt every shift, she was doing something: clearing the zone, generating chances down low, playing a 200-foot game. She only had three assists in the regular season, and I’m excited to see how the third-line center performs in the Walter Cup Final.

Tyler: I mentioned her in the series preview, Amanda Pelkey gave Boston some needed jump against Montreal. While their top lines struggled to get on the scoresheet, Pelkey found ways to be productive at both ends of the rink. She played more minutes than ever before during the triple-overtime game last Saturday, notching her first goal in over four months in Game 2. Then, in the decisive Game 3, she was one of the driving forces that helped Boston rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period, scoring the game-tying goal late in regulation.

Who needs to step up in the finals?

Hunter: The answer is simple: Grace Zumwinkle. If you told me that Zumwinkle would have zero points in five games and Minnesota would still win the series, I’d think you were a bad liar. During the regular season, not only was she tied for second in the league in goals with 11, but she was the only Minnesota player to score more than six goals. 

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think the State of Hockey will be so lucky if she produces another goose egg on the scoresheet. 

Tyler: I mentioned her name during the semifinals, and I know I’ve been hard on her all season long, but Hilary Knight needs to start putting the puck in the back of the net. I know she had 15 shots against Montreal, but the 2023 IIHF Female Player of the Year scored ZERO points in the series. It is like what legendary Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden told the great Cam Neely, “I don’t pay you to get chances, I pay you to score.” 

If Knight can’t find a way to start scoring, Boston is going to be handcuffed in the finals.

Which team has the advantage in goal?

Tyler: If Aerin Frankel isn’t in net for Boston, we’re previewing a completely different series. She was spectacular against Montreal, and while Maddie Rooney was great against Toronto, she didn’t have to deal with the barrage of shots as Frankel did in the semifinals. Frankel’s ability to make big saves in big games is the reason that the U.S. won gold at the World Championship last year, and why Boston was able to make that late surge to qualify for the postseason.

Hunter: I would have to agree with my colleague on this one. While Rooney did a wonderful job for Minnesota, earning two shutouts and allowing just one goal in their last three games, Toronto’s offense seemed to vanquish in the second half of the series, and Minnesota did a good job of holding most of their zone entries to the perimeter. 

Frankel stopped 141 of 145 shots over the three games, resulting in a .972 SV%. Three consecutive overtime games means three coin flips, but with a netminder like Frankel, your side of the coin is a little heavier. That’s why Boston has the advantage in net. 

Who wins the Walter Cup?

Hunter: Admittedly, I spent far too long on this one, as I didn’t have a gut feeling as to who would take this one. Minnesota has a swing of momentum after completing the reverse sweep, but what’s a bigger confidence boost than sweeping a superstar-stacked roster like Montreal’s? While I think Minnesota’s second and third lines were the best parts of the series, playoff hockey is so dang fickle, and a hot goalie like Frankel can just decide they will simply not lose. 

As I said earlier, this series is a coin flip. Since they have the better goalie, I have Boston taking this one 3-2. 

Tyler: With two fantastic goaltenders, this series can go either way. It will all come down to whoever can generate the most chances. While Boston has a lot of scoring upfront, Minnesota’s top players made a larger contribution in the semifinals, which will be a key factor if those trends carry into the finals. If Minnesota can do what they did to Toronto and limit the star players, it will give them a huge advantage.

Despite all the good I said about Frankel, Minnesota finds a way to pull it out, 3-2.

Who wins the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award?

Tyler: This may be a member of the Goalie Union talking, but if Minnesota gets it done, as I suspect, you have to give it to Rooney. She might not have to put up with the same amount of chances that Frankel will, but how she has stood on her head in key moments against Toronto helped Minnesota get to this point, and will be the reason they win the Cup.
Hunter: Taking another page from my colleague, I think the netminder from the winning team will take home the inaugural Kloss MVP Award, which is why Frankel will take home the award. When it’s all said and done, we’ll be talking about her postseason performance the way we remember Patrick Roy and the ‘86 Montreal Canadiens. Giddy up!