The Boston Fleet are four games into their 2024-25 season and own a split record of 2-2-0.
It’s very early in the PWHL’s second season, but there are some trends already being established within the Fleet’s identity, both of the encouraging and worrysome variety.
Outstanding Penalty Kill
Boston has been penalized the most of any other club in the league with 16 shorthanded situations.
The Fleet has successfully killed off 14 penalties, allowing just two power-play goals against for an 87.5% conversion rate.
“I feel like the players are dialed in, committing to what the game plan is for the PK and knowing that everyone’s got to buy in,” Fleet coach Courtney Kessel said after Boston’s win Tuesday, per league-provided video. “… I honestly don’t think they’ve been egregious penalties. I think the refs are trying to figure it out. There’s a few new ones in the league and hopefully it gets figured out.”
Only the New York Sirens rank higher than Boston in the penalty kill, allowing one goal on nine attempts for 88.9%.
Big, Bad Blue Line
Whether or not the Fleet intended to establish themselves as a heavy, physical team, they have done just that with a bruising blue line.
Megan Keller and Emily Brown led the Fleet with 17 hits apiece through the first four games of the season. Jessica DiGirolamo had six hits through her first three games for Boston this season; however, the Syracuse University product doubled her output with six hits in the Fleet’s win over the Ottawa Charge on Tuesday night.
Scoring Production
The Fleet’s offense got off to a slow start with Hilary Knight potting the only two goals in Boston’s first two games. The Fleet captain said she would rather be winning games than scoring goals after Boston’s loss to the Minnesota Frost in its home-opener.
In the last two games, the Fleet have seen several other players step up in their production, including “best D in the world” Keller, who lit the lamp twice in Boston’s first win of the season on Dec. 8 against the Sirens.
Hannah Brandt, Shay Maloney, Susana Tapani, Jamie Lee Rattray and Bard have all recorded a goal through the first four games. Knight leads all Boston scorers with four points, followed by Keller with three.
Aerin Frankel Continues To Anchor Fleet
The small but mighty goaltender is off to another stupendous start in net for the Fleet.
Frankel has started all four games for Boston, posting a .934 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average. Her save percentage tops the league for the four goaltenders — Ottawa Charge’s Emerance Maschmeyer, Sirens’ Corinne Schroeder and Toronto Sceptres Kristen Campbell, who have played in four games. Frankel is tied for the league lead with Maschmeyer with 121 shots against. Frankel leads Maschmeyer in saves, 113 to 111.
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