Raygan Kirk made every save she needed to on Saturday night, posting a shutout as Toronto Sceptres defeated Minnesota Frost 2-0 at Grand Casino Arena in Hinckley, Minnesota. The win keeps the Sceptres alive in the PWHL playoff hunt with two games left in the regular season.
Kirk, who now owns three shutouts this season, has been Toronto's backbone down the stretch. Through 21 games, the netminder carries a .933 save percentage and a 1.90 goals-against average, numbers that rank among the league's best. She has stopped 539 of 578 shots faced this season.
The result pushes Toronto to 37 points on the year, pulling the Sceptres within two points of fourth-place Ottawa Charge in the standings. With 28 of 30 games now complete, every point matters. Ottawa holds 39 points and occupies the final favorable playoff position.
Minnesota, sitting third with 49 points, had won eight of its last ten entering the weekend but could not solve Kirk. The Frost have locked up a top-three finish regardless, though the loss stalls their push toward second-place Boston Fleet, who sit at 58 points.
Toronto will need help along with results of their own. The Sceptres host New York Sirens on Monday at Mattamy Athletic Centre before closing the regular season later in the week. New York sits sixth with 34 points, three behind Toronto.
For Minnesota, the road continues Tuesday when the Frost visit Seattle Torrent at Climate Pledge Arena. The Torrent sit last in the standings at 27 points but have played spoiler at home this season.
Kirk's performance Saturday was the kind of statement game Toronto needed with its playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Three shutouts in a 30-game season is hard to do at any level. The Sceptres will ask her to keep it going Monday night.