On the final day of action before the Olympic break, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) had a full slate. The first of those games was an all-Canadian clash between the Montreal Victoire and the Toronto Sceptres. The match was played Wednesday evening (January 28) at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. The Victoire came in looking for their third win in a row and a potential jump in the standings.
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Montreal had a 2-1 record this season against Toronto, but the Scepters played their most recent game shortly before the new year.
The Victoire scored their goals Natalia Mlýnková, Marie-Philip PoulinAnd Shiann Darkangelo in a complete team effort. They took advantage of the Scepters’ lack of discipline, scoring two power play markers and keeping the momentum going for virtually the entire game. They were victorious by a score of 3-0.
Stacey ends a goalless streak
It was five long games for the attacker Laura Staceybut she managed to get back on the scoresheet. Before Wednesday’s game, she had zero points since Jan. 4 against the Minnesota Frost. She started the season with seven points from nine games and then cooled down completely in recent weeks.
Stacey plays primarily on the top line with Poulin and Abby Roque, although that line as a whole has been quieter than usual lately. They will really need to turn up the heat when play resumes in a month’s time as this Victoire team desperately needs them to perform to have success in big games. The connection between Stacey and Poulin last night is (hopefully) a good sign for the months to come.
Montreal’s depth shows
While someone like Stacey may have been struggling lately, it’s clear that this team has a strong supporting cast that can get the job done here and there. The Victoire’s three goals in this one had three different goal scorers and six different players getting assists. That means a total of nine different point getters in an all-around shutout effort.
This team needs its top unit to score to win, as I mentioned earlier. However, that doesn’t mean the rest of the lineup can’t participate. They have five players with five plus points off their top line this season, so the help is there if they need it. They can go big and steal for Montreal a few games later.
Victoire remains undefeated at Place Bell this season
There’s no place like home, and the Victoire are serious about that. They are undefeated so far this season in their hometown, Place Bell. They have a 5-1-0-0 record in that building, something you don’t hear about every day in professional sports. They have only allowed a total of five goals on home ice this season, and they really seem unstoppable whenever they come to play.
This can be attributed to a few things, but in reality there is one thing that stands out: the fans show up in Laval every night. They consistently have a loud, crowded house that can be intimidating to visitors. Fans are singing along to every song, singing and cheering on their team, and just the overall atmosphere seems to be second to none at Place Bell this season.
Montreal’s next game comes in about a month, after the break of course. They will face the New York Sirens at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on February 26, with puck drop scheduled for 5:00 PM MDT.
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