Takeaways: Love-Hate Relationships For Sceptres Special Teams, Nurse Red Hot

The Toronto Sceptres couldn’t quite break through as they lost 4-3 to the Minnesota Frost in a shootout Tuesday night.

Here are three takeaways from the back and forth matchup.

Penalty Kill Haunts Sceptres

Despite playing a strong game five-on-five against the Frost, it was the two goals allowed during the penalty kill that cost Toronto. In total the Sceptres were only 2/4 on the penalty kill, a 50% success rate.

Toronto has struggled to find consistency with their penalty kill this season, killing them off a league worst 69.4% of the time. This could be blamed on the new “No Escape Rule," but it has seemed to be more of a systems issue than anything.

Toronto is allowing a lot of goals from just below the blueline. These shots from the point have proven costly and it showed as both Frost power play goals were created by point shots.

Toronto Finds Success With Extra Skater

To take a complete 180 flip when it comes to special teams, the Toronto Sceptres were able to stay in the game thanks to their success on the power play. The Sceptres were able to take advantage of the league's second worst penalty kill as they scored on three of their four power play opportunities in the game.

All of the Sceptres goals in St. Paul came with the extra skater including a Renata Fast one timer from the point to tie the game late in the third period. For a team that has struggled to produce, the success on the power play is a welcome sign.

Nurse Catching Fire

As staple of this team, Sarah Nurse has caught fire as of late for the Sceptres to help them try and move out of the PWHL basement. While they didn’t get the win in Minnesota, Nurse was a dynamic presence on the ice.

What has been most impressive about her game this season is her strength and how she uses it to drive to the net or break through defenders. In overtime Nurse nearly broke through two defenders to find herself all alone but was not able to corral the puck.

Nurse also displayed her all-world skill batting the puck out of mid-air for her goal, which is what the Sceptres need from her to climb back into the race. She is pulling her weight scoring and picking up an assist on Jesse Comphers goal.