The PWHL this week: Goals remain in short supply as Walter Cup playoffs heat up

Goals have been hard to come by in the first season of the PWHL, and things haven't been any different during the first week of the Walter Cup playoffs.

Only 14 goals have been scored after the first five games, and both Montreal-Boston match-ups have needed extra time — including Saturday's triple-overtime spectacle. Boston leads the best-of-five semifinal series 2-0 and has a chance to eliminate Montreal in Game 3 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET) in front of its home crowd.

One reason things have been tight is the goaltending, with the best-of-the-best occupying a limited number of spots in a six-team league.

Toronto's Kristen Campbell had back-to-back shutouts in Games 1 and 2 against Minnesota, followed by Minnesota's Maddie Rooney recording one of her own in Game 3. Toronto leads the series 2-1. Game 4 is set for Wednesday (8 p.m. ET) in Minnesota.

WATCH | Minnesota blanks Toronto, forcing Game 4:

In the Montreal-Boston series, both games have felt like a duel between two of the best goalies on the planet in Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens and Boston's Aerin Frankel. The latter has made 109 saves, and only given up two goals over two marathon games.

Between the goaltending and defensive play, teams need to find different ways to score than they did in the regular season. Minnesota's first goal in a 2-0 win on Monday, which kept the team alive for another day, came on a point shot with Campbell screened.

Soon after, an uncharacteristic puck-handling mistake by Campbell put Minnesota up by two, and Toronto never caught up.

"I don't think that's going to end up on any highlight reels, but it goes on the board as a goal and that's awesome," said Minnesota forward Liz Schepers, who had the primary assist on both goals.

"When