The Minnesota Whitecaps and Boston Pride advanced to the National Women's Hockey League Finals with triumphs Friday in playoff matches postponed from last month due to a Covid-19 outbreak. Host Boston defeated the Toronto Six 6-2 in one semi-final while Minnesota ripped the Connecticut Whale 7-0 in the other playoff matchup to set up Sunday's championship final. Minnesota and Boston were to have played the 2019-20 NWHL championship game last March as well but it was wiped out by Covid-19 and this year's attempt to crown a champion had seemed doomed for a time as well. A shortened six-team 2021 NWHL season began in a quarantine "bubble" at Lake Placid, New York, in January but after five days the Metropolitan Riveters withdrew after multiple Covid-19 positive tests among players. Connecticut withdrew from the playoffs four days later and after more coronavirus positive tests, the semi-finals were scrapped. The league announced March 8 that the semi-finals and final would be staged in Boston, seven weeks later than first planned, with Connecticut back in the spot it had earned. Boston's Tereza Vanisova, Jillian Dempsey, Mary Parker and McKenna Brand each scored a goal and assisted on another in the Pride's victory. Audra Richards scored three goals and Allie Thunstrom added two more for Minnesota. js/dw