Minnesota has stayed at the top or near the top of the Professional Women’s Hockey League standings through the first half of the season despite having the least productive offense in the league.

Sunday at Xcel Energy Center, before an announced crowd of 10,186, Minnesota fired 41 shots on Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel but was not able to get one past her in a 2-0 loss.

Minnesota, which missed out on a chance to tie Montreal for first place, has 26 goals in 13 games. Coach Ken Klee said the focus in the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game was finding ways to be more productive offensively.

“We did scoring drills all week,” Klee said. “We literally kept score — a full practice of keeping score. It was definitely an emphasis for us to bear down and zip it. But it’s tough; their goalie played great.”

Klee said he could detect a difference in how some players performed in practice compared to the game.

“A little more confidence,” he said. “It’s tough to be a confident player when you have one or two goals or zero goals on the year. You look at our roster, a lot of our players have one goal or so, so it’s tough to say, ‘I’m super confident in my goal-scoring ability.’

“But that’s no excuse. We have to find a way to bury pucks.”

Klee also said the absence of No. 1 center Taylor Heise, the team’s most skilled offensive player, is not an excuse for coming up empty on Sunday.

“She’s a big-time goal scorer,” he said, “but she hasn’t scored a lot for us, either. So I can’t put it on her being out. She has three on the year, and two in one game. It’s by committee. We have to find a way to do it.”

Heise was placed on the long-term injured list prior to the game, which means the earliest she can return to the active roster is March 2. Minnesota plays in New York on March 3.

She missed her fourth straight game after sustaining an upper body injury on February 11 while playing for Team USA in the Rivalry Series against Team Canada.

Minnesota also was without forward Liz Schepers, who sustained an upper body injury in a game against Ottawa on February 14. Abby Boreen, who began the season on Minnesota’s reserve list, was signed to a second 10-day contract to take Heise’s spot on the roster.

Kelly Pannek has been elevated to the top line to take Heise’s place at center. While she is second on the team with eight points, she has only scored one goal.

“Regardless if she is in or not, I put it on myself to be a part of the offense on this team,” Pannek said. “As does everyone. A player like Taylor, you don’t replace her. The coaches put me in position to be effective offensively.

“I feel I need to step up in that way.”

Minnesota was 0 for 4 on the power play and is now 2 for 34 on the season with the extra skater, which ranks last in the league.

“The first power play I thought we had some great looks,” Klee said. “But then, as we go on, I could tell we start getting tighter. We need to go back, remember our fundamentals and not shoot into shin pads.

“I know as a player, when things aren’t going well you try to take things on yourself and maybe shoot from somewhere maybe you shouldn’t shoot from.”

Minnesota dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, with a number of quality scoring chances. The period ended scoreless.

“If we can grab the lead there, when the shots are 14-1, then I think maybe things go a little easier for us,” Klee said.

Boston scored in the second period and held on to the 1-0 lead until former Gophers star Gigi Marvin scored into an empty net with eight seconds to play for her first goal of the season.

Briefly

Minnesota hosts Toronto on Tuesday. With the Wild playing at home, the PWHL game will be played at 3M Arena at Mariucci.