PWHL playoff notebook: 1st line driving Minnesota's quest to repeat as champions

For the second year in a row, the Minnesota Frost will be playing in the Walter Cup final.

Just like last year, the Frost squeaked into the playoffs, clinching a spot on the last day of the regular season.

Again, the team was seeded fourth, and again, that didn't make a difference. This time, it took the Frost only four games to dispatch the Toronto Sceptres, after the Frost won the deciding Game 4 in overtime by a score of 4-3 on Wednesday.

"We were having some turnovers, having some uncharacteristic mistakes," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said about his players, who climbed back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the game.

"But at the end of the day, we found a way to win. That's the biggest thing. Playoffs, you've got to find different ways to win every night, and big credit to our squad for doing that."

The Frost, who won the inaugural Walter Cup last season, will take on either the Montreal Victoire or Ottawa Charge in the next round. The Charge leads the best-of-five series 2-1, and has a chance to win at home on Friday evening. 

One advantage the Frost may have had over the Sceptres: they've been playing desperate hockey since the end of April just to get into the post-season.

The top line of captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, reigning playoff MVP Taylor Heise and Michela Cava led the way in Game 4. The overtime winner was Heise's first goal of this series, but that doesn't tell the whole story of just how impactful she's been.

Heise finished the series with seven points in four games. In the last two games, she won more than 61 per cent of the faceoffs she took.

WATCH | Heise sends Frost back to PWHL finals with OT winner that eliminates Sceptres:

Heise sends Frost back to PWHL Finals with OT winner that eliminates