Neal: Frost’s dynamic offense has them well-positioned at PWHL Olympic break

Given everything that is going on in the world of hockey right now, there were two objectives for the Frost to meet on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Enter the Olympic break with a victory.

And get out of the game without an Olympian getting injured.

That second objective looked to be in doubt around two minutes into the third period when Vancouver’s Sydney Bard hit Frost forward Denisa Krizova, who will play for the Czech Republic, along the boards.

Krizova could not put any weight on her right foot and had to be helped off the ice and down the dreaded tunnel. But Krizova, one of eight Czech players from the PWHL named to the Olympic team, eventually reappeared for a few shifts.

Krizova was sore after the game, but didn’t believe it was serious. Sigh of relief. After the Frost pulled off a 4-1 victory over the Goldeneyes, every player on both teams headed to Italy was announced and applauded by fans.

And the Frost (7-2-3-3), the two-time defending PWHL champions, headed into the break in second place in the standings. They also boast the league’s best offense (3.2 goals per game). The Frost had to adjust after losing dynamic defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques to Vancouver as free agents. After a wobbly start to the season, the Frost have recovered, winning four of their past five games.

The top four scorers in the PWHL are Frost players. Curl-Salemme, forward Kendall Coyne Schofield and forward Taylor Heise each have 16 points in 15 games. Forward Kelly Pannek sits right behind them with 15. Coyne Schofield is second in the league with 10 goals. Heise leads the PWHL with 13 assists, her last one coming vs. Vancouver when her pass from the boards found Curl-Salemme in the high slot for a howitzer of a goal. Curl-Salemme’s shooting percentage is an impressive 25.0.

I asked Frost coach Ken Klee following the game what else he likes about his team besides scoring. Well, he couldn’t begin without talking about scoring.

And you can’t blame him.

“We’re getting scoring from a lot of different people,” he said. “I think that is huge for us. Obviously, our goaltending has been outstanding with Maddie and Nicole [Hensley]. They both have been fantastic. When you are scoring goals and you’re having great goaltending, I think it is good for your team.”

Both Hensley and Rooney were on the last two Olympic teams. With a solid defense in front of them, the Frost have allowed the third-fewest goals in the league. The two stingiest teams, Boston and Montreal, are anchored by even better goaltenders. The Frost’s firepower gives them a chance against anyone. If they grab an early lead, they can skate teams out of the rink.

Then the Frost showed the trio how they have moved on from them while going after title No. 3.

At the 4:56 mark of the first period, Vancouver struggled to get the puck out of its own end against the Frost forecheck. Forward Klara Hymlarova, a Czech Republic Olympian, chiseled the puck away and it went to rookie defender Kendall Cooper, the Frost’s 2025 first-round pick. She didn’t dally, firing a shot that beat goaltender Kristen Campbell for Cooper’s first PWHL goal. Cooper doesn’t provide offense like Jaques and Thompson can, but she has proven to be a steady, reliable defender who is finding her way.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself and how much growth I’ve had just in these few months here,” said Cooper, who played at Quinnipiac. “It’s really easy to learn from so many great players.”

Now the league pauses for the Olympics. Frost players not in the Olympics return to practice Feb. 8. So they are scattering. Rooney and a couple teammates are headed to a cabin about three hours north. An odd choice, considering the suffocating cold we are dealing with at the moment,

“But it has a hot tub,” Rooney said.