When I spoke to Taylor Heise last Wednesday at morning skate, she mentioned the importance of starting games fast. Later that evening against the Ottawa Charge, on her first shift, Heise banked in a goal off Charge goaltender Gwyneth Phillips to give the Frost a 1-0 lead.
It was another fast start, another Taylor Heise goal, another Minnesota Frost victory. That’s the way it’s been going for Heise and the Frost recently; they’ve won five in a row.
After a slow start to her season, Heise has been on a tear: all 22 of her points have come in her last 17 games. Heise is tied for the league lead in points, and she leads the league in assists. With nine games to go, Heise has already tied her career best of 22 points in a PWHL season. Heise, and a couple of her Frost teammates, are on pace to become the first players to score 30 or more points in a PWHL season.
Heise’s offense has helped the Frost secure 42 points this season, which puts them comfortably among the playoff teams in the PWHL standings. The Frost have picked up 14 of a possible 18 points since returning from the Olympic break.
“I think coming back from the Olympics, there was definitely that high of all the things that happened and the wins and whatnot, but I think coming back and just being excited to be here and understanding that there are limited games that are left…I’m just enjoying my time and understanding how great our team is,” Heise recently told The Ice Garden. “Regardless of the injuries and things that are happening around the league, I think just focusing on the Frost has been the key for me and the key for the team. The big wins we’ve had on the road have definitely helped us skyrocket to where we want to be.”
A Scorer and a Playmaker
Few players in the PWHL can both score goals and set up their teammates like Heise. This season, Heise leads the league with 15 assists. She is also fifth on the Frost with seven goals. It’s a delicate balance between getting her shots and making plays for her teammates.
“It kind of depends on the game,” Heise said. “There are certain games where I know I gotta get my shots off. I think every game I need to have at least three to five [shots]. If I can get more than that, that definitely means I’m putting myself in really good spots. But also, I take into account how many grade A chances I have that I then pass because I think those also count. I want to make sure I know how many times I’m getting into the scoring zone. That’s something the coaching staff and I have been really working on to make sure that I’m staying prominent in that area.”
Heise’s playmaking and scoring complement each other, making her hard to defend against. When things are going well in a game, that challenge becomes even harder for the opposition.
“They definitely rotate off each other. I think people know if I already have a goal or if things have gone really well for me, I’m more willing to pass. I’m always willing to pass, but I think sometimes I see those plays, and I have that ultra confidence where I’ve already scored, and things have gone well for me, and then, kind of just looking off of what’s been happening, I think I just see the pass a lot more. And sometimes in that realm, I do need to shoot as well.”
It’s a balance Heise is always trying to perfect.
“I think I’m learning day to day. When you go against the best goalies in practice, sometimes you do want to make that extra pass because I know that they’re on the angle and they’re not going to let me just score on a normal shot. So I think that’s part of it as well…I think it just depends on the situation. I always just trust my gut because I think it’s got me quite far at this point, and then when it does me wrong, then I look back in the video, try to learn from it, and then kind of get better as it goes on.”
Heise’s 15 assists this season are already a career high. According to HockeySkytte, nine of those 15 assists were primary assists.
“I think this year too, it’s just the confidence factor, and what I’m able to accomplish has a lot to do with my teammates and how many minutes I’m playing. So I think it’s a kind of a culmination of a bunch of different things.”
Finding success amidst change
Injuries, most recently to Kendall Coyne Schofield, have forced Minnesota Frost head coach Ken Klee to shuffle the forward lines.
“It’s definitely not easy when you have people in and out of the lineup with injuries. I think Ken, our coach, does a good job of switching things around,” Heise said. “Sometimes I’m not the best with change, but we’re really working on it. I’ve been really blessed to play with some really amazing teammates this year, and always have been. It’s been fun for me to find that chemistry. Sometimes, when you’re just given ample opportunity to play with specific people, it kind of gets hard when things get stuck. So when we move things around the way we have, I think it makes it a little easier for me to try new things and just be excited for new opportunities.”
With Coyne-Schofield out of the lineup, Heise has stepped up. In the past five games, Heise has scored four goals and six points. The Frost have picked up 14 points in those games.
“I think Denisa and Katy Knoll right now, we’ve had some really good games. I’m really excited for them because I think they deserve the plays that are being made. It’s really exciting to see them have smiles on their faces and be excited. I think our group we have really good chemistry, as well as just moving things around brings [out] that depth, and we can kind of show that on a nightly basis,” Heise said.
“I think everyone on our team has either been getting points or really getting into those scoring zones,” Heise said. “It’s been super fun to see how prevalent our chances in the offensive zone are.”
In the win over Ottawa last Wednesday, 12 different Frost players registered a point.
The Frost followed up the win over the Charge with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday. The Frost will try to push their winning streak to six when they take on the Montréal Victoire in St. Paul on Wednesday, March 25.