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Nicole Hensley, Minnesota Frost (Photo by Nala Burton/The PWHL)

3 Takeaways From the Frost’s Win Over the Charge

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Mariah E. Stark | Last updated May 1, 2025 11:12 AM ET

The Minnesota Frost took on the Ottawa Charge in a must-win game on the road on Wednesday, April 30. They had to win to keep their postseason hopes alive, and they found a way to do that. With Nicole Hensley in the net, the Frost couldn’t get their scoring going until late in the second period, but they pushed to the end.

The Frost got on the board first and kept the Charge scoreless all the way through. They took the 3-0 win and made sure their postseason hopes stayed alive another day. Several things got them this win, and we’ll look at those things, starting with their leader, who led the way: Kendall Coyne Schofield.

Coyne-Schofield Leads By Example

When teams are desperate to win, they look to their leadership to step up and lead the way, which is precisely what Coyne-Schofield did. She’s done so since day one, and although she has had some rough games here and there, overall, she’s always one of the hardest-working players on the ice. Against the Charge was no different; she was throwing her body around and using her speed to get from one end to the other.

That effort was what got her open to receive a pass down the middle, and she was able to get off a quick shot and get her team on the board first. That goal gave her team the motivation to keep pushing, and they added two more goals to seal the win. Some teams struggle when under the must-win pressure, but the Frost stepped up and delivered. They aren’t out of the woods yet, of course, they still need to win and have the Charge lose one more game, but they made it possible to still be in the postseason.

They followed Coyne-Schofield’s lead and elevated their play as the game went on. The Frost will need her to step up again when they play their final regular season game on Saturday, May 3, and hopefully she’ll have another outstanding performance.

Frost’s Hensley Shuts Out Charge

It’s been mainly Maddie Rooney’s net this season, partly due to an injury to Hensley and partly because Rooney has played well. It was Hensley’s turn to have a big game, and she did. She made the save on every shot that came towards her, and although she didn’t face a lot, she did stop all 24 of them for a shutout.

Just like Coyne-Schofield, without Hensley’s outstanding performance, the Frost likely wouldn’t have won this game. She kept her team in it when they didn’t have the momentum, and when things broke down, she was there to stop them. It’ll be interesting to see which goaltender the Frost go to for their final regular season game, as Hensley should likely be considered first with this strong win.

Frost Need Their Power Play

The Frost had four chances on the power play, and they couldn’t convert on any of them. Although they won the game, this is something they need to figure out. They are a strong team; they have the talent on the power play that can score, but for some reason, they continue to struggle. Again, they did win the game, but it might not have been as stressful or close as it was if they had scored on one of their power plays.

The good news on the special teams front is that their penalty kill was on fire, killing off the three penalties they took to keep the Charge scoreless. Hensley was a big part of their penalty kill as well and made some strong saves. That whole team effort is precisely what they needed on the penalty kill, and hopefully, they can keep that going in the final game of the regular season.

If the Frost wants to win their final game of the regular season and have a chance to make the postseason, they need their power play to contribute. Of course, it is possible to win games without the power play as they’ve shown, but it makes it a bit easier when it’s producing.

Frost Remain on Road

The Frost will finish their regular season on the road against the Boston Fleet on Saturday afternoon, May 3. They know what they have to do and how to do it, but they’ll need to elevate their game even more as the Fleet has played them hard this season. Although the Frost does have the series lead, they’ll need to be ready. Hopefully, they can step up again, get a win, and get a little help from the Toronto Sceptres, who also play the Charge on Saturday. If the Charge loses in regulation and the Frost wins, the Frost will be in the postseason once again, in a similar fashion to last season.