After goal erased on replay, Boston has no answer as Minnesota evens up Walter Cup finals

Sophie Jaques (center), the former Boston draft pick who was traded in February, celebrates her goal with Minnesota teammates Claire Butorac (7) and Sophia Kunin (11) that gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in Tuesday's Game 2 of the PWHL Walter Cup finals at Tsongas Center.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

The PWHL’s inaugural season wouldn’t be complete without a hotly debated no-goal call, would it?

Welcome to playoff hockey.

While its power play loomed larger in its 3-0 defeat in Game 2 of the Walter Cup Finals on Tuesday, PWHL Boston was on the wrong end of a would-be goal.

Boston defender Jess Healey, who scored the winner in Game 1, looked to have another one at 2:20 of the second period. After she deposited a loose puck in front, an official behind the net pointed repeatedly at the ice — signaling “goal” — and Boston celebrated.

Boston defender Jess Healey (97) celebrates after putting the puck in the Minnesota net, thinking she had halved the visitors lead in the second period. But minutes later, officials ruled no goal, saying the puck was held and whistle was blown before she scored Tuesday at Tsongas Center.Mark Stockwell/Associated Press

But a conference led to controversy.

Before Healey had popped in the puck, Minnesota netminder Nicole Hensley seemingly had the puck under her blocker, waiting for a whistle. Four Minnesota skaters were standing by, too.

Boston’s Sophie Shirley kicked the puck loose when she was shoved down in the crease by Minnesota’s Sophia Kunin, and it went right to Healey who buried it.

But after officials conferred, and the call was changed to no goal, and then referees Jared Cummins and David Elford got on the headsets.

“We definitely heard a whistle,” Minnesota coach Ken Klee said. Boston coach Courtney Kessel said she heard it, too.

Hensley said she didn’t know where the puck was. “A weird one,” she said, “but we’ll take it.”

The official word from the league: the play was actually blown dead before Healey put the puck in the net. There was, apparently, no need for a video review. And no goaltender interference. Just a whistle that wasn’t, and an irritated Boston crowd.

The best-of-five series heads to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday.

The Boston bench check out the replay on the Tsongas Center video screen as the officials review Jess Healey's possible second-period goal. Officials ended up waving off the goal, and that was the closest the hosts got to scoring in Tuesday's Game 2. Mark Stockwell/Associated Press

Say this for Boston: it was their lack of oomph on the power play that stunted their comeback hopes, not the contested call.

They went 0 for 4, with all four of those power plays coming after Healey’s non-goal. Shortly after their fourth chance expired, ex-Boston defender Sophie Jaques (two goals) iced the game with an empty-netter.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the death of us if we can’t put the puck in the net,” Kessel said.

Boston was on it early, their quick passes and puck touches creating momentum in their attack. They had flow, no hesitation evident in their game.

But late in the first period, Minnesota got going off the rush, scored off a fortunate bounce and quickly doubled the lead. It remained 2-0 after 40 minutes.

MICHELA CAVA! 🗣

BACK TO BACK game-opening goals in the Finals! pic.twitter.com/yNiNwyFxnc

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) May 21, 2024

The visitors opened the scoring at 14:25 of the first. Michela Cava cruised down the right wing after Mellissa Channell forced a Boston turnover inside the offensive blueline. Megan Keller was stick-down, playing the pass, and she took it away — almost.

Cava’s feed to Kendall Coyne Schofield never arrived. It skipped off Keller’s stick and tapped down off the crossbar for a 1-0 lead.

It was the first Minnesota shot in nearly 11 minutes, and their third of the night. Their fourth also went in the net.

Jaques scored her first 1:56 later. Liz Schepers recovered a Frankel rebound and sent it to the point, where Jaques — drafted 10th overall by Boston and traded in February — sent a far-side wrister through heavy traffic. Ex-teammate Kaleigh Fratkin jumped out to contest the shot, but Jaques found space.

Sophie Jaques with her first goal of the postseason! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/GIInxFga7h

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) May 22, 2024

The Boston power play, now scoreless on 14 tries in the playoffs, was a momentum killer.

Alina Müller drew an interference call at 14:20 of the second, but Boston came and went without a threat. Another late-second power play was only slightly more dangerous. Down by a pair of goals in the third period, they didn’t string much together.

They had their best looks after Müller drew another trip with 4:56 left, but could not break through.

Game 1 hero Aerin Frankel stopped 19 shots for Boston. Minnesota’s Hensley, her Team USA teammate, turned aside all 20 she saw.

“I don’t think we played a bad game at all. I think they were just ready to capitalize on a couple of our errors there,” Boston captain Hilary Knight said. “We just couldn’t find the back of the net.”

Boston goalie Aerin Frankel denies Minnesota's Michela Cava during the second period of Tuesday's Game 2 of the PWHL Walter Cup finals at Tsongas Center.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff