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PWHL Walter Cup finals open with goal scoring flurry; Minnesota and Boston look ready for more

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PWHL Walter Cup finals open with goal scoring flurry; Minnesota and Boston look ready for more


During 14 seasons as an NHL defenseman, Ken Klee learned that every playoff series has its own distinct character. The PWHL Minnesota coach didn’t expect things to be any different in the newest pro hockey league.

He saw that play out Sunday, when Minnesota opened the Walter Cup finals with a 4-3 loss at Boston. In the semifinals, goals were hard to come by, as Minnesota and Toronto combined for only 14 in five games. Minnesota and Boston scored half that total in Game 1 of the finals, signaling that this best-of-five set could be more wide-open.

Klee played in 51 NHL playoff games, so he knows how to adapt when the scenario changes. After a back-and-forth opener in the finals, he will adjust the game plan accordingly for Tuesday’s Game 2 at Boston.

“It’s a new series, and we’re going against new people now,” Klee said. “It’s a different look than what we had [in the semifinals].

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“Hockey series are always going to take on their own identity, and now, we know what this is going to be like. And it’s good.”

The four goals were uncharacteristic for Boston, the PWHL’s lowest-scoring team in the regular season. Coach Courtney Kessel said increased scoring has been a focal point for her group since league play resumed April 18 after a break for international play. Boston has lost only once in eight games since the break and is 4-0 in the playoffs, but it’s scored two or fewer goals in six of those.

Minnesota also has struggled to score after the break, with a total of 14 goals in the 10 games before Sunday. But its top line is heating up, centered by a resurgent Taylor Heise. In the past two games, Heise has four goals and an assist, and her line provided all of Minnesota’s scoring Sunday.

Heise said being down 1-0 in the series isn’t a concern for a team that roared back from a 2-0 deficit in the semifinals.

“We’re kind of used to it,” she said. “Against Toronto, we never lost hope. We did some really good things [in Game 1], and there are some things we can do better.”

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In Game 1, Boston forced some turnovers, and it had stretches where it slowed down the Minnesota attack in the neutral zone. In Game 2, Minnesota will need to match Boston’s physical play, continue relying on its speed and avoid repeating the defensive lapses that hurt the team in the opener.

Kessel wants Boston to get out to a better start after it took more than seven minutes to put a shot on goal in Game 1. She hopes it continues to respond to Minnesota goals the way it did Sunday. Boston twice erased one-goal deficits and scored the game-winner only 15 seconds after Minnesota tied the score.



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Gophers commit Tori Oehrlein continues to dominate, setting MN prep record

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Gophers commit Tori Oehrlein continues to dominate, setting MN prep record


Crosby-Ironton four-star guard Tori Oehrlein verbally committed to the Gophers in November and it looks like they will have a future star when she arrives on campus in 2026. She has absolutely dominated to begin her junior campaign.

Oehrlein has been putting up unbelievable numbers all season, averaging 29.8 points, 16.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 7.3 steals per game — and her performance on Tuesday night might’ve been her most impressive.

The 5-foot-11 guard broke the Minnesota high school girls basketball state record with 21 assists in a 113-33 victory over Hinckley-Finlayson. She ended Tuesday night’s game with a ridiculous box score of 30 points, 21 assists, 12 rebounds and 12 steals, marking her third quadruple-double of the season.

Oehrlein is only a junior this year, so head coach Dawn Plitzuweit and the Gophers will have to wait more than a year until she’s able to play for Minnesota. Crosby-Ironton is a perfect 14-0 this season and Oehrlein looks like one of the best players in the state regardless of class.

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According to ESPN’s recruiting rankings, Oehrlein ranks No. 43 nationally in the class of 2026. The only high schooler in Minnesota who ranks high in 2026 is Kentucky commit Maddyn Greenway, who ranks 18th nationally.

Greenway, the daughter of former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, is averaging 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 4.8 steals per game at Providence Academy.

Another high school phenom who has been offered by the Gophers is Duluth Marshall ninth-grader Chloe Johnson. The class of 2028 recruit is averaging 28.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.8 steals per game for the Hilltoppers.

Stay up to date on all things Gophers by bookmarking Minnesota Gophers On SI, subscribing to our YouTube Channel, and signing up to receive our free Gophers newsletter, which will enter you into a drawing for the EA College Gameday 25 video game (you choose between PS5 or Xbox).



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Minnesota plays Memphis, looks for 4th straight win

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Minnesota plays Memphis, looks for 4th straight win


Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies (24-14, third in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-17, seventh in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

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BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota heads into a matchup with Memphis as winners of three games in a row.

The Timberwolves are 16-10 in conference matchups. Minnesota is third in the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, giving up just 107.2 points while holding opponents to 45.4% shooting.

The Grizzlies are 11-11 against Western Conference opponents. Memphis ranks second in the league scoring 56.9 points per game in the paint led by Jaren Jackson Jr. averaging 12.1.

The Timberwolves average 15.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 more made shots on average than the 13.6 per game the Grizzlies allow. The Grizzlies average 13.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 12.5 per game the Timberwolves give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Edwards is averaging 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Timberwolves.

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Jackson is scoring 22.6 points per game with 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Grizzlies.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 6-4, averaging 107.5 points, 46.0 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.0 points per game.

Grizzlies: 5-5, averaging 122.8 points, 49.5 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.0 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Rob Dillingham: out (ankle).

Grizzlies: Cam Spencer: day to day (thumb), Marcus Smart: out (finger), Vince Williams Jr.: out (ankle), GG Jackson II: out (foot ).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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How to get tickets for Minnesota Vikings vs. LA Rams NFC Wild Card playoff game

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How to get tickets for Minnesota Vikings vs. LA Rams NFC Wild Card playoff game


The final game of the NFL’s Wild Card weekend is set to take the Minnesota Vikings to LA to face the NFC West champion Rams Monday night at SoFi Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET, and tickets are still available to catch the action live.

How to get Vikings vs. Rams NFC Wild Card tickets: Seats are available for the NFC Wild Card matchup between the Vikings and Rams on secondary sites Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

As of Jan. 9, the starting prices were as follows:

  • Vivid Seats starting at $87
  • StubHub starting at $92
  • SeatGeek starting at $92
  • Viagogo starting at $91

#5 Minnesota Vikings (14-3) at #4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

NFC Wild Card Playoffs

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When: Monday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.

The Vikings had a shot to win the NFC’s top seed in Week 18, but fell short against the Detroit Lions, losing the NFC North Division and slipping to the No. 5 spot instead for a road matchup on Wild Card weekend. They are listed as 1-point favorites against the Rams after finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record and nine straight wins prior to last weekend’s 31-9 loss in Detroit. Though all the ingredients are in place for the Vikings to make a run, just three of their 14 victories this season came against playoff teams and one of their three losses came to the Rams (30-20) back in Week 8.

  • Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams NFC Wild Card tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | Viagogo

The Rams found their way through an injury-marred start to the season and closed it out strong with five straight wins before resting starters in a Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (30-25). The highlight of that stretch and their season as a whole was a 44-42 shootout win over the Buffalo Bills that was fueled by two Kyren Williams touchdown runs and a big day from the receiving duo of Puka Nacua (12-162-1) and Cooper Kupp (5-92-1). The same combination of playmakers around quarterback Matthew Stafford are central to LA’s path to victory against Minnesota.



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