Taylor Wenczkowski will certainly remember her first goal.

The checking line forward netted the game-winner in triple overtime, as Boston defeated Montreal, 2-1, in a Professional Women’s Hockey League semifinal game Saturday night at Place Bell. Game 2 was played in front of a packed house of 10,172.

Boston leads the best-of-five semifinal series 2-0, with a chance to complete the sweep Tuesday night at the Tsongas Center in Lowell at 7 p.m.

“I’m just so pumped to go back to Boston with two wins,” said Wenczkowski. “It’s what we needed so I’m really excited.”

Boston goalie Aerin Frankel was again fantastic. The former Northeastern netminder originally set a PWHL record with her 53-save performance in Game 1. She shattered that mark in saving 57 in Game 2, none came bigger than a stunning left pad save off Sarah Lefort from point-blank range in the closing moments of the third, forcing the extra session.

Boston opened the series with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Montreal on Thursday. Susanna Tapani was the OT hero in that affair, netting the winning tally at 14:25 of the extra frame.

Saturday night was Wenczkowski’s time to shine, as the Boston forward scored in front of the net at 11:44 of the third OT session against a determined Montreal squad.

“They’re a really good team,” said Wenczkowski. “They’re physical. I think we match up well against them, but it’s definitely a new rivalry in women’s hockey. It’s been a lot of fun so far. Hopefully the next one we keep it to three periods.”

Amanda Pelkey continued her puck luck against Montreal. Boston’s checking line forward scored the go-ahead goal early in the first period. Working from behind the net, the Vermont native pounced on a Montreal turnover. Taking the puck off an attempted clear by Catherine Daoust, Pelkey banked a shot in off Montreal goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens’ left pad for the goal at 6:48.

Known primarily for her hustle and grit, Pelkey is no stranger to potting big goals against Montreal. Her lone regular season goal came against the Canadian team, scoring a shorthanded game-winner in a 3-2 overtime victory, Jan. 13.

The fast start was a refreshing change of pace for Boston, which struggled to find its offensive footing over the first two periods in Game 1.

“I think the whole team just tries to build off momentum, whether it’s a little play or a goal,” said Pelkey, between periods. “We wanted to come out strong because the last game we were a little flat-footed. So that was our goal.”

Boston came out firing, outshooting Montreal 10-5 in the opening period, while holding a decided 10-1 edge after scoring the first goal of the game this season.

But Montreal wasn’t going down without a fight. The Canadian club battled back scoring on the powerplay to open the second period. Kristin O’Neill did the damage. Camped in front of the net, the forward swatted in a rebound of a Maureen Murphy drive at 1:59.

Montreal carried the play for much of the middle stanza, outshooting Boston 15-12. They continued to gather third period steam outshooting their opponents 11-4, but deadlocked at 1-1.

Desbiens was impressive in making 50 saves for Montreal, which held a 36-21 shots advantage heading into OT.

Boston forward Lexie Adzija was ejected from the game after being assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for a hit to the head on Laura Stacey with 13:40 left in the first OT extra session. Her team managed to kill off the major, despite facing ample pressure.

Who’s Playing

Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Regular Season Records: Boston 64-18, Cleveland 48-34

Current Series Standings: Boston 1, Cleveland 1

How To Watch

• When: Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — Cleveland, Ohio
• TV: ABC
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $100.58

What to Know

The Celtics have enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. On Saturday, they will fight it out against the Cleveland Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference playoff matchup at 8:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Celtics are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 120.6 points per game this season.

The experts predicted the Celtics would be coming into the contest after a big victory against the Cavaliers, but they missed that call by a country mile. Instead, it was the Cavaliers who did the damage, beating the Celtics 118-94. While the oddsmakers failed to call the winner, they nailed the 212.5 point over/under.

The Cavaliers can attribute much of their success to Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Evan Mobley, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds. Mitchell’s evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least 30 points.

Having now played two games, the Celtics and the Cavaliers are on even footing with one win each. Check back here after the game to see who wins this pivotal Game 3 matchup.

Odds

Boston is a big 8-point favorite against Cleveland, according to the latest NBA odds.

The line has drifted a bit towards the Celtics, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 6-point favorite.

The oddsmakers are predicting a defensive showdown and set the over/under low at 211 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Cleveland and Boston both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.

• May 09, 2024 – Cleveland 118 vs. Boston 94
• May 07, 2024 – Boston 120 vs. Cleveland 95
• Mar 05, 2024 – Cleveland 105 vs. Boston 104
• Dec 14, 2023 – Boston 116 vs. Cleveland 107
• Dec 12, 2023 – Boston 120 vs. Cleveland 113
• Mar 06, 2023 – Cleveland 118 vs. Boston 114
• Mar 01, 2023 – Boston 117 vs. Cleveland 113
• Nov 02, 2022 – Cleveland 114 vs. Boston 113
• Oct 28, 2022 – Cleveland 132 vs. Boston 123
• Dec 22, 2021 – Boston 111 vs. Cleveland 101