Your Boston Fleet traveled North of the Border tonight to take on the Montreal Victoire in their second to last game of the regular season. With MTL already securing their playoff spot and the Fleet all but assured a spot in the postseason, this could have been a glorified game of shinny (but in front of fans). However if that was your thinking, you don’t understand the hockey rivalry between these 2 cities, these 2 teams and these players.
I mean you want storylines? Let’s start with Team USA and Team Canada. Did you watch the IIHF Women’s Worlds? Have you watched the IIHF Women’s Worlds over the last 10 years or so? Not a lot of love lost between these squads. And who are the captains of the aforementioned international squads, that just so happen to also be the captains of their PWHL teams?
FYI: This clip took very little effort on my part to find. I mean, very little.
Oh that’s not enough for you? How about this year’s IIHF Women’s Worlds? With the Fleet’s Aerin Frankel in the US net and the Victorie’s Laura Stacey on the ice for Canada…
And if you remember from last season’s playoffs: This is a pretty pretty good PWHL rivalry already. There was a lot of OT last year in the playoffs, (including one 4 hour game) and the games have been tight this year as well. This one took almost the entire OT period to be decided, and it went to the home team as Montreal won 3-2 over Boston.
So, yeah you could say that there’s some history. This game felt like a playoff game from the opening draw and I love how the Fleet like to set the tone in these types of game. Both Megan Keller and Emma Greco were setting the tone early in the first with their physical play and body contact.
Frankel was out again for tonight’s game, so fresh off her first career PWHL win (and shutout) Klará Peslarová manned the pipes for BOS. At the other end of the sheet was the vet: Ann-Reneé Desbiens made her 20th start of the 2024-2025 campaign.
The play for most of the first was fast, physical and a bit choppy. Neither team had long setups in each others’ end as the neutral zone saw the most play. It felt like there was a big hit looming at all times and that special teams would be the difference maker in this one. Every whistle saw a scrum, and there was a lot of talk between the teams: This is Boston vs. Montreal baby!
The sides retired for the first intermission knotted at gooses and the tension was building as the clock was winding. The middle frame was more of the same play, with the teams combining for 6 penalties before Montreal broke the ice. A late power play goal by Jennifer Gardiner put Montreal on the board after a bit of a scramble in front of the Boston net. A shot from the left point was turned aside by Peslarová but the rebound popped to Abby Boreen at the left post, whose backhand kissed off the crossbar and fell to Catherine Dubois at the blue paint. Dubois was denied from in close but the puck found Gardiner cruising left to right and she didn’t miss on the backhand. 1-0 Montreal.
In the third the teams traded chances early before Montreal doubled up their score on the power play with just about 5 minutes played. Montreal gained the Boston zone with possession and worked the puck up to the point before Anna Wilgren fed Dubois at the top of the RW circle where she found the back of the net. Dubois opened up to take the pass before putting a wrister 5-hole off a defender’s deflection. 2-0 Montreal.
The nastiness ramped up once Montreal was up by a pair. Lots of bodies on the ice, lots of gloves in cages and some PG13 convos going on. It looked like this one might slip away from the Fleet.
And then Hannah Brandt entered the chat. With less than 3mins to play (and Montreal on yet another power play) Brandt hit the Jailbreak button and got the Fleet on the board. Jamie Lee Rattray gained the Victoire zone and fed Brandt breaking in on the inside of the right wing. Brandt attacked the slot and split 2 defenders before being dragged down from behind just as she put the puck on Desbiens. Sliding along with the puck, Brandt got her own rebound on the backhand and crossed the goal line just ahead of the puck. After a short review, the goal was called good and sacré bleu! we have a game. 2-1 Montreal.
That score held for about 40 seconds before Hannah Bilka tied this one up. Hilary Knight gathered the puck behind the Fleet net and fed Sidney Morin in the right corner. Morin had her head up the whole way and lasered the puck from inside her own blue line right onto Bilka’s tape as she broke into the Montreal zone. Bilka hit the snap drag and beat Desbiens short side for the equalizer. What a feed by Morin and snipe city for Bilka. Tie game.
The teams finished regulation all tied up and did you expect anything different from these 2 squads? Have you forgotten the first round of last year’s playoffs so soon? Looks like the fans in attendance were getting some bonus 3v3 hockey.
In the overtime period Montreal had possession for the majority of the period before ending it with less than a minute remaining. Marie-Philip Poulin won the face-off at the RW circle in the Fleet zone and found Stacey in the slot for the drop knee one-time game winner.
That win solidifies home-ice advantage for the Victoire in the first round of playoffs and leaves Boston still looking to “officially” punch their post season ticket. I’m guessing if Montreal gets the top spot, they won’t be picking the Fleet for their first round opponent.
Up next for the Victoire is a trip to New York on Saturday while the Fleet head home to welcome in Minnesota on Saturday to finish up the regular season.
We’ll be covering all the playoffs for the PWHL and we have some big time guests coming up on Breaking The Glass Hockey Podcast. We cover the women’s game at all levels and have plenty of fun while doing so. Check us out and as we say: Like Subscribe and Share with 100 of your closest friends! You can find us on all socials @BTGHockeyPod with our website coming soon.
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