A three-goal deficit in the second period of their playoff opener turned out to be too much for the Minnesota Frost to overcome on Wednesday night in Toronto. But their 3-2 loss to the Sceptres did not come until the visitors had made a valiant comeback effort.

Goals by Britta Curl-Salemme and Katy Knoll were not quite enough as the Frost gave up the game’s first three goals, and lost Curl-Salemme later in the game to a major penalty.

Frost goalie Nicole Hensley had 34 saves in the losing effort.

“Obviously we like the play when we’re on the other end of it, but it was still a great hockey game,” Minnesota coach Ken Klee said. “It’s a long series. That’s what we take from it. … We know it’s going to be a hard-fought series, and you need to get three to win the series. We didn’t get one tonight, but kudos to them.”

Toronto got a pair of goals from Julia Gosling and 24 saves from goalie Kirsten Campbell to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Friday night in Toronto.

Hensley, who had backstopped the Frost’s two wins to end the regular season, giving up only one goal in the process, got the Game 1 start and was tested early, thwarting a pair of solo rushes to the net by the Sceptres in the first five minutes.

Minnesota’s offense — which had scored eight times in the regular-season finale — took a bit longer to find its legs, managing six first-period shots.

Toronto finally broke through after some line juggling and a missed defensive assignment allowed Blayre Turnbull to skate across the top of the crease unobstructed and tuck a low shot past Hensley. It was the first time in their seven meetings so far this season that Toronto scored the game’s first goal.

Things could have gotten worse quickly for Minnesota when Grace Zumwinkle was whistled for a first-period penalty, putting Toronto’s PWHL-leading power play on the ice. But Hensley had three saves during the two minute advantage to keep their deficit manageable.

“We had some turnovers in the neutral zone. They hemmed us in and kept us in there, and then when you start getting tired, you start making bad decisions,” Klee said. “I think they managed that part of the game better than we did, especially early.”

Then Toronto took control of the game, with Gosling scoring at even strength and on a power play as the Sceptres had their home rink rocking.

Curl-Salemme finally gave Minnesota some offense, scoring a power-play goal on a setup pass from Claire Thompson. Less than a minute later, Curl-Salemme would exit due to a match penalty when she was called for a check to the head while carrying the puck out of the defensive zone.

Klee said he didn’t get a good look at the hit, commenting only that it was a “quick play.”

But with Toronto on a five-minute power play and looking to put the game away, Minnesota’s penalty-killers kept the Frost in the game, with Hensley making several critical saves to get the Frost to the second intermission only trailing by two.

Knoll made it a one-goal game less than three minutes into the third, scoring on a rebound. But Toronto had an answer for every Minnesota push over the final 17 minutes, keeping the Frost to the perimeter for much of the final minute when Hensley was on the bench for an extra attacker.

“We had great moments at times. If we can be more consistent with our play and our depth, I think we’re going to be able to wear them down,” Frost defender Sophie Jaques said. “Continuing to get pucks to the net and taking away the eyes of their goalie, I think, is going to make us successful throughout the series.”

Minnesota faced Toronto in round one of the playoffs a year ago, losing the first two games of the series on the road before winning three in a row and advancing to the Walter Cup Final.