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3 things to know about the Isobel Cup final as the Pride aim to repeat
Boston will face Connecticut in Monday's final.
Despite enduring five consecutive overtime losses to end the regular season, it’s not exactly a surprise that the Pride are back in the Isobel Cup final.
Boston won the championship in 2021, and are a game away from repeating. And even with the late-season run of defeats, the Pride still finished third in the Premier Hockey Federation standings, advancing to the final with a 5-1 win over the Toronto Six in Sunday’s semifinal.
The final, played on Monday night at 9 p.m. (airing on ESPN 2), features the Pride against the Connecticut Whale. The Whale, who beat the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-2 in the other semifinal, led the league in points, goals, and goal-differential.
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Here are a few things to know before the puck drops:
The Pride are on a historic run.
No team has won the Isobel Cup in consecutive years. For Boston, such an achievement would be yet another unprecedented accomplishment in league history.
After winning the title in the inaugural season of the then-National Women’s Hockey League in 2016, the Pride added to their trophy haul by winning again in 2021.
Boston emerged triumphant despite a disrupted playoff bubble in Lake Placid. Eventually, the postseason resumed, and the Pride defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-3 at Warrior Arena.
It’s a continuation of a dominant run that began in 2020, when Boston went 23-1 in the regular season and appeared poised for a championship coronation. But the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the final (which would have also been against Minnesota) to be canceled.
The Whale make an Isobel Cup debut.
For Connecticut, the 2021-2022 season has been the greatest in team history. Two seasons ago, the Whale finished just 2-20, surrendering 100 goals in 22 games.
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After fighting to a 13-5 record in the team’s first year of existence (2015-2016), Connecticut — a founding member of the NWHL (now the PHF) — have finally produced another winner, going 15-3-2 to clinch the top playoff seed.
The team’s impressive turnaround has come thanks in large part to superstar Kennedy Marchment, who led the league with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists). Connecticut can also count on goal-scoring from 2021 No. 1 overall pick, Taylor Girard (third in the league with 24 points).
A matchup to watch.
With Marchment in the lineup, the Whale will always have a chance in Monday’s final. The 25-year-old was the second overall pick in 2017, but opted to play three seasons in Sweden (where she totaled a staggering 188 points in 106 games).
Facing her will be a talented and deep Boston defense led by Kaleigh Fratkin.
The 30-year-old Fratkin has more career points than anyone else in the league at her position.
“She’s, in my opinion, the best defenseman in this league for a reason,” said Pride coach Paul Mara following the semifinal win. “She’s showing up when we need her to. She’s been incredible for us for many years now.”
For Boston to repeat, Fratkin will have to not only play a role in limiting Marchment and her prolific teammates, but will likely also have to help the Pride on the offensive end.
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