Boston tags Whale with second straight loss

Whale goalie Jamie Leonoff made 32 saves but it wasn’t enough as Boston beat Connecticut for the second straight game, 5-2 Sunday in Stamford.

STAMFORD, Jan. 31 – A new coach for the Connecticut Whale didn’t make a difference Sunday against the Boston Pride. For the second straight week and third time this season, Boston beat the Whale.

Hilary Knight scored twice while goalie Brittany Ott made 17 saves to lead Boston to a 5-2 decision in National Women’s Hockey League action at Chelsea Pier Sunday night.

With the victory, Boston (10-3-1) moves within one point of Connecticut (11-3), which has led the four-team league for the entire season. The Pride beat the Whale, 4-1 a week ago. Connecticut, which has lost two straight for the first time, will face Boston in two of its final four games on February 14 in Boston and on February 21 in Stamford.

The game was the debut for Connecticut’s Heather Linstad, the former head coach at the University of Connecticut and Northeastern University. Linstad was behind the bench after Whale coach Jake Mastel resigned on Thursday.

The reason for Mastel’s resignation hasn’t been announced but sources told writer Kate Cimini that players voiced their dissatisfaction about Matel’s coaching methods in a closed door meeting in November with NWHL commission Dani Rylan. Linstad’s appointment as head coach was announced Friday.

All season long, the Whale have been getting outshot. For the 10th time in 14 games, the opposition got more shots on net. Connecticut goalie Jamie Leonoff (7-2) made 32 saves on 37 shots as Boston exploded for four goals in the second period to break the game open. Connecticut had a season-low 19 shots on goal Sunday. Their previous season-low was 21 a week ago against Boston.

Gigi Marvin, Jordan Smelker and Hilary Knight, the NWHL’s leading scorer, each scored in the first six minutes of the second period to give the Pride a 3-0 lead. Connecticut tried to claw their way back into the game when Kelli Stack put the Whale on the board with 9:54 left in the second period off an assist from Molly Engstrom and Brittany Dougherty.

Boston responded immediately with Brianna Decker scoring 1:14 later on a shorthanded goal to push the lead back to three goals, 4-1. Connecticut’s Kelly Babstock had an outstanding goal in the third period, getting between three defenders to sneak a low shot past Ott.

Knight finished with two goals and an assist, pushing her league-leading totals to 25 points and 12 goals.

NOTES: The Whale wore special camouflage uniforms in the game to honor veterans at military appreciation day. … The Whale acquired goaltender Shenae Lundberg from New York for netminder Chelsea Laden on Wednesday, marking the first trade in league history. Lundberg did not play in the game. … The Whale returns to the ice on Sunday when they host Buffalo at Danbury Arena at 1:30 p.m.

Boston 5, Connecticut 2
At Stamford
Boston (10-3-1)            0  4  1  — 5
Connecticut (11-3)       0  1  1  — 1
First period
No scoring; Penalties: Alyssa Gagliardi (Boston), interference, 8:22; Amanda Pelkey (Boston), tripping, 10:43; Micaela Long (Connecticut), hooking 17:05
Second period
Boston 1, Gigi Marvin (Kacey Bellamy), 0:18; Boston 2, Jordan Smelker (Marvin, Bellamy), 4:47; Boston 3, Hilary Knight (Smelker), 5:46; Connecticut 1, Kelli Stack (Brittany Dougherty, Molly Engstrom) 10:06; Boston 4, Brianna Decker (Knight) 11:20 (sh); Penalties: Marissa Gedman (Boston), tripping, 1:35; Kaleigh Fratkin (Connecticut), body checking, 2:31; Jordan Smelker (Boston), tripping, 11:01; Kelli Stack (Connecticut), hooking, 14:57; Smelker (Boston), tripping, 19:35
Third period
Boston 5, Knight (Decker), 6:12; Connecticut 2, Kelly Babstock (Jessica Koizumi), 11:51; Penalties: Jillian Dempsey (Boston), tripping, 11:20
Shots on goal: Boston 37 (13-17-7); Connecticut 19 (5-9-5)
Goalies: Brittany Ott (Boston) 19 shots, 17 saves; Jamie Leonoff (Connecticut) 37 shots, 32 saves

National Women’s Hockey League
                              W-L-T         Pts.
Connecticut            11-3            22
Boston                    10-3-1         21
Buffalo                      4-8-2         10
New York                  3-9-2          8
Sunday’s games
Boston 5, Connecticut 2
Buffalo 4, New York 2
Sunday, Feb. 7
Buffalo at Connecticut (Danbury Arena), noon
Boston at New York, 2 p.m.