The Boston Fleet travelled to Laval, Quebec to take on the Montreal Victoire in front of a sellout crowd of 10,172 at Place Bell to wrap up both teams’ schedules for the 2024 calendar year. It was a tight back and forth affair for roughly 40 minutes, (unfortunately though, the PWHL insists on playing the full 60) and the Fleet leave Canada on the short end of a 3-1 L.
After how last season’s playoff series went, I’d assume that this year the first meeting between these 2 teams has been circled on a number of calendars in the Montreal room. No matter the circumstances, no matter the players, no matter the league; when it comes to Montreal and Boston in hockey, it’s a special rivalry. It took about half a period for the nasty to ramp up as acquaintances were renewed and lingering bad intentions were re-stoked.
Montreal came into tonight’s game 2-2-0-1 on the season and Boston (looking up in the standings at everyone) at 2-0-0-3, and for those that may have forgotten, the PWHL standings are measured in Wins, Overtime Wins, Overtime Losses and Losses. This was a huge 3 point regulation win for the Victoire as the 3 points earned tonight vaulted them into first place overall in the league. At least the PWHL Montreal crowds aren’t singing Òle Òle Òle after victories (yet).
The opening 5 minutes were played at 2x speed as both teams had chances and the squads were flying up and down the ice. Boston got the first PP of the night but couldn’t cash in (a theme that repeated itself throughout the game for both sides), and the best play of the early PP was a defensive one. Laura Stacey was on her horse on the back check and swiped the puck from Boston captain Hilary Knight in the Montreal slot before Knight could put the puck on net. Great hustle play by Stacey who never gave up on the play.
Montreal got on the PP later in the period as Sophie Shirley took successive penalties. It was basically a double minor as only 00:01 of game play separated the infractions, but Montreal couldn’t cash in on their man-advantage either. In my humble opinion from the couch, Shirley was playing strong on the body, but it seemed as if the refs were trying to keep control of this one cause it was a low boil from the opening draw.
Just when you thought the sides were going to head to the rooms at gooses, Claire Dalton entered the chat. Mariah Keopple found Dalton as she was exiting the Montreal end and Dalton took care of it from there. Busting down the LW on her off hand, Dalton protected the puck from the Boston defender before she knifed in from the LW dot on her backhand and dragged the puck across the crease and outwaited goalie Emma Söderberg before stashing the puck for the early lead. A great net drive from Marie-Philip Poulin helped create havoc in front of the Boston net and I’m sure took some of Söderberg’s attention. 1-0 Montreal after 20 played.
In the middle frame the nastiness picked up a tick as the zone time stayed fairly even. Just before the midpoint, Knight got Boston on the board when she finished off a great dish by rookie Hannah Bilka to tie it back up. A turnover in the neutral zone was gathered in by fellow rookie Daniela Pesjova who corralled the loose puck and pushed it over to Megan Keller who was skating back in the neutral. Keller saw Bilka on the far wall and got the puck to her as Knight broke in with Bilka coming down the RW. Bilka laid a sweet little sauce pass over to Knight driving the net, and the Boston captain re-directed it home for the 1-1 tie.
The Fleet went on a power play with 3 mins to play but in case you forgot, the PWHL has an innovation called The Jailbreak Rule and jail break they did. Kristin O’Neill gathered in the outlet pass from Dalton and broke in alone on Söderberg and buried the puck 5-hole to negate the penalty and regain the lead.
And you gotta love the Jailbreak graphic from the Victoire social team: In French too! Trés bien!
After a Fleet icing, Montreal got to work in the Boston end with some tired defenders trapped on the ice. The Victoire kept possession and worked the puck around the outside as the gassed Fleet defenders could only watch. Anna Wilgren got the puck at the left point and walked down to the LW circle before putting the puck on net through a forest of legs and sticks. A deflection put the puck far side in the top corner to make it a 2-goal lead with less than 2mins to play in the 2nd period.
With time winding down in the middle stanza Keller was coming up the LW wall and got hit high to the head by MTL’s Catherine Dubois. Keller remained down on the ice for an extended few moments as the on-ice officials got together with the Situation Room on the line. After reviewing the multiple angles, the officials (correctly) called a 5min major (and a misconduct for Dubois) and the Fleet were awarded the power play to open the final frame. Just another example of the PWHL on the leading edge of getting these type of calls and plays correct.
Boston came out for the 3rd down by 2 goals, on a 5-minute power play and a clean sheet of ice and…. did squat. They didn’t land a SOG until less than a minute to play on the man-advantage and didn’t get a zone setup for the entire major. Not the best way to climb back into this one. The Fleet looked disjointed and completely out of synch for the final 20 and only landed 2 shots on net as they tried to get back in this game. Remember when I said they played about 40 mins? This is what I was referring to. As the frustration mounted, and the clock wound down, the physicality ramped up with multiple scrums and a lot of gloves to the cages. It was good to see some fight in both squads as time wound down. It’s turning into a nice little rivalry.
Both teams are off until the new year with Boston traveling to Minnesota and then meeting up with Montreal in Seattle as part of The Takeover Tour. The Fleet will be on the road for the next 5 games, even though they are the “home team” for the game in Seattle, while The Victoire are off on their own 3-game roadie.
Happy New Year and let’s hope that the time away together gets the Mojo back for the Fleet.
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