CLEVELAND – The United States skated by Canada, 4-1, in the first of four Olympic warmup laps. Their decisive win in Thursday’s Rivalry Series opener was their third straight against Canada, and should make for a frenzied border crowd when the teams meet Saturday in Buffalo.
The star at Rocket Arena was Abbey Murphy, who scored the first U.S. women’s hat trick in the six-year history of the Rivalry Series. It was also the first against Canada since Hilary Knight in the gold medal game at the 2023 Women’s World Championships.
By any measure, a hat trick against Canada is a rare feat.
Takeaways and tipped pucks:
⋅ If you’re unfamiliar with Murphy’s game, she plays like someone who used to work in Boston.
Murphy flashed a brilliant grin during practice this this week when a reporter brought up Brad Marchand.
“I take it as a compliment,” she said.
The pesky Chicagoan scored twice in the second period, making it 2-1 at 9:46 by hammering home a power-play one-timer from the left circle. Her second, an even-strength goal at 17:29, came on a similar cross-ice feed from the same teammate, Taylor Heise (three assists). Murphy didn’t get as much on that shot, but it fluttered over Canadian netminder Ève Gascon for a two-goal lead.
She completed the hat trick 1:54 into the third, tapping in another power-play feed from Heise on the doorstep.
“Murph has a world-class shot,” said US coach John Wroblewski. “I worked on the men’s side for a long time, and she’s got a shot that you’d feel comfortable putting on a men’s power play.”
Murphy was an irritant from puck drop onward, taking a bodychecking penalty on Sarah Fillier that raised the temperature of an otherwise unremarkable start (Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin was whistled for checking minutes later). The refs kept their arms down when she took a second-period elbow up high, and when Murphy gave and took bumps on most of her shifts.
“She’s very effective at it,” Canada coach Troy Ryan said this week. “But I think sometimes people can get caught up in that side of her game and forget that she’s a pretty highly skilled player as well. You can’t get away with [those] antics without the skill to back it up.”
Murphy, a senior at the University of Minnesota, will be one of the top picks in a loaded PWHL draft next year. That group includes American defenders Caroline Harvey (of Salem, N.H.) and Laila Edwards, and top-line United States forward Tessa Janecke.
⋅ Aerin Frankel went the distance, stopping 26 of 27 shots. The Fleet’s ace made her first big save seven minutes in, after Laura Stacey fed Poulin in the slot. The Canadians flashed offensively, but didn’t mount an extended attack until a pair of third-period power plays. Frankel held strong.
⋅ The teams traded goals in a 16-second span midway through the first. Canada made it 1-0 at 9:27 when Fillier cleaned up a rebound on the power play. Heise tipped an Edwards shot that was crossbar height. It was upheld after a lengthy review.
⋅ Checking with their feet, the Americans ramped up the pressure midway through the second. Hannah Bilka showcased her wheels, creating a pair of chances on the rush. The United States also ran a few plays in that sequence, including a four-high look that had had Canada packing the house.
⋅ It was a bit of a slow start, pace-wise, especially for the PWHL players involved. This was their first action since May, while college players have been playing for several weeks. Bilka was one pro who had her wheels going. Wroblewski praised her for her aggressive forechecking, which led to a few scoring chances.
⋅ Edwards, a Cleveland Heights product (teammates dubbed her “the Queen of Cleveland”), got a big cheer and picked up a power-play assist on Heise’s opening goal.
Edwards, who plays defense for the national team and both forward and defense for Wisconsin, is improving her timing and poise as a defender. To help create Murphy’s second goal, she smartly held onto the puck for an extra beat on a zone entry. “If we just dump it in, we’re forechecking,” Wroblewski said. “Her composure was on display all over.”
⋅ US-Canada international relations were strong enough to agree on this: the teams can dress as many players as they want for the Rivalry Series. The Americans dressed 25 skaters, scratching forwards Casey O’Brien and Gabbie Hughes, defenders Anna Wilgren and Savannah Harmon, and netminder Ava McNaughton. Canada dressed one extra forward and one extra defender, leaving notable names Sarah Nurse and Ella Shelton in the press box.
Wroblewski said it is far too early to think about roster cuts. “We’ll have to let it play out,” he said, adding that Canada’s roster is similarly in flux.
Matt Porter can be reached at matthew.porter@globe.com. Follow him on BlueSky at mattyports.bsky.social.