Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne Sheffield (26) and defender Sophie Jaques (16) celebrate a goal by Jaques (16) in against Toronto during the first period of a WPHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Minneapolis. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Sarah Nurse scored two goals, including the overtime winner, and Toronto beat Minnesota 4-3 on Tuesday night for its sixth straight victory.
Toronto pulled within three points of first-place Montreal in the PWHL standings, having won seven of its last eight. Minnesota remains in second place, one point ahead of Toronto, despite losing three consecutive games.
Toronto never trailed. Blayre Turnbull snuck the puck by Minnesota goaltender Nicole Hensley to put Toronto ahead 1-0 just under six minutes into the game. Kali Flanagan added a goal on a power play in the second period, beating Hensley on the glove side for a 2-1 lead with her second goal of the season. It was Toronto’s first power-play goal by a player other than Natalie Spooner.
Nurse was left alone at the side of the net and knocked home a rebound for a 3-2 lead in the third. Nurse scored her fourth goal of the season at the 3:46 mark of overtime on a deflected shot that sent Hensley the wrong way.
Toronto goaltender Kristen Campbell made 27 saves to earn her league-best eighth win in 12 starts.
Sophie Jaques scored her first professional goal – on a backhand shot – for Minnesota to tie it at 1-all. Natalie Buchbinder also scored her first goal of the season to tie it at 2-all.
Jaques, in her fifth game since being traded to Minnesota, scored on a straightaway blast to tie it at 3-all with 21.1 seconds left in the third.
It was the first three-goal outing for Minnesota since Jan. 27.
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AP hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/hockey
