Plus/Minus: The Good And Bad From The Rivalry Series

USA swept the opening two stops of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series beating Canada 3-1 and 5-2. USA clearly outplayed and out-skated Canada both games. It's a performance that will send Canada's brass back to the drawing board prior to December's games.

Although two games is a small sample size, there were plenty of takeaways, both good and bad. Here's a look at what worked, and what didn't for both teams.

The Kids Can Play - Team USA continued to be powered by youth. Yes, they got contributions from veterans, but in a secondary manner. The drivers of the American roster were Hannah Bilka, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Britta Curl, and Gabbie Hughes. In the second game, Hughes scored a pair, while Curl and Bilka also tallied. It didn't stop there however, as Lacey Eden, Grace Zumwinkle, Tessa Janecke, and Laila Edwards were all noticeble. On the back end, with Lee Stecklein and Caroline Harvey out, Cayla Barnes and Haley Winn both stepped up in big ways for USA transporting pucks, playing physical, and contributing offensively. Add in Aerin Frankel's stellar performance in the opening game, and USA looks ready for another decade. On Canada's side of the puck, the NCAA presence was minimal, but one of the most welcomed and impactful additions to Canada's roster was St. Lawrence captain Julia Gosling, who looked ready to claim a permanent spot in Canada's lineup.

New York New York - Some felt PWHL New York didn't get the same skill as other teams up front, but if the performance of Abby Roque and Alex Carpenter in the opening games of the Rivalry Series said anything, it was that New York will be dangerous with the puck, and hard to play against. Carpenter was everywhere for USA, showcasing her speed and playmaking skills. Roque was a bull along the boards and around the net. Her play in tight was dangerous, and she was almost impossible to knock off the puck. Add in the fact that Ella Shelton and Jamie Bourbonnais were likely Canada's two steadiest defenders, and New York showed well at the Rivalry Series.

More Rattray, More Success - It will be fascinating to see how PWHL Boston deploys Jamie Lee Rattray. She's given fourth line minutes for Canada, but continues to produce like a top six forward, and at times was one of few Canadian forwards changing momentum and applying consistent pressure in these games...and at the 2023 Worlds. She's so versatile, Rattray can be moved up and down the lineup. Perhaps with top six minutes to shine in Boston, Canada will see the value in playing Rattray more. She's the type of player the USA is relying on, and winning with right now. Fast, skilled, physical, and capable of playing on both sides of the puck, Rattray was a bright spot for Canada.

With Or Without, USA Wins - USA was without two of their top three defenders in Caroline Harvey, who was the USA Hockey player of the year and leading scorer at the World Championships, and Lee Stecklein. They also remain without longtime leader Kendall Coyne Schofield. Add in the fact Amanda Kessel has stepped away from the national team, and that's a lot of star power missing. Despite these absences, USA continues to prove they can win games against Canada's best. The depth of their pool is impressive, with more players like Wisconsin's Kirsten Simms, Kiara Zanon, Casey O'Brien, and Joy Dunne up front, and Grace Dwyer, Ally Simpson, and Emma Peschel on the blueline, who were all stellar in USA's three-game sweep of Canada in the Summer Collegiate/Development Series. The NCAA pipeline is working for USA who continue to win with or without their longtime stars in the lineup.

Tough Start For Sophie Jaques - Tough would actually be an understatement for Sophie Jaques in the opening game of the Rivalry Series. Unfortunately, they were habits that followed the young defender from Canada's Fall selection camp that weren't as evident at the NCAA level. Most noticeable were Jaques' two giveaways that directly resulted in American goals. The first was a tape-to-tape pass to USA's Britta Curl in the slot, the second was actually a pair of giveaways, first off the draw in the neutral zone, which came back to her along the wall in Canada's zone, and again ended up on an American stick, and seconds later in the back of the net by Hannah Bilka. These weren't the only giveaways in the game for Jaques. In Canada's zone, Jaques struggled with USA's speed, getting beat in foot races, and when Canada was breaking out, Jaques was often ahead of the puck, rather than providing a hinged outlet for her partner. It was definitely a game to forget, and won't bode well for seeing her back in Canada's lineup in December. If Canada gives her another look, it will be a significant game in her national team career.

Injuries A Concern - There were multiple moments in the game when you could hear PWHL teams gasping. The first came when Taylor Heise was helped off the ice with what looked like a right leg injury. She would return to the game, but the wear and tear of the Rivalry Series on stars will be a point the PWHL is watching closely. Unfortunately, Erin Ambrose was not as lucky as Heise, as she suffered what Canada called a lower body injury in the second period. Ambrose was very slow to get up, and only did so with support. She did not return to the game. Any injury to Ambrose, PWHL Montreal's first round draft pick, would be a considerable loss to Montreal and the league.

Goaltending Woes For Canada - With Ann-Renee Desbiens injured, Canada gave starts to their second and third goalies from recent international competitions, Emerance Maschmeyer and Kristen Campbell. Maschmeyer was the better of the two stopping 24 of 27 shots faced, good for a .889 in a 3-1 loss to open the series. Campbell on the other hand, while she dealt with defensive lapses and redirections in front of her, posted an abysmal save percentage of .792, allowing five goals on 24 shots. It was a continuation of her struggles at Canada's Fall Selection Camp where Campbell posted a 7.50 GAA and .643 save percentage. Both goaltenders will certainly benefit from seeing regular action in the PWHL, as neither have played much in the past three years as members of the PWHPA and backing up Desbiens. At some point, Canada is going to need to break ranks and give a start to Corinne Schroeder, who was the only netminder not to allow a goal at the Fall Selection Camp, including making several point blank saves, after being named PHF Goaltender of the Year posting eye popping numbers. She's the most game ready netminder in Canada's national team pool, and at this point, loyalty is taking Canada nowhere.

Time Is Beginning To Catch Up - If the PWHL has one immediate impact on international hockey, it will be the chance to prolong the national team careers of aging stars. The most obvious player in this category is American legend Hilary Knight. She's done everything for her nation, and will be an instant lock to the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the game's greatest stars when her time comes, and time is beginning to catch the star. If you give the puck to Knight in the slot, watch out. She can still finish, and dish the puck as well as anyone. But watching USA's young stars buzz around the ice and drive play, it's clear time is catching up with Knight, quickly. At some point, USA Hockey will have a difficult decision to make with Knight. USA Hockey moved on from Cammi Granato at the same age as Knight is now, and at this rate, it would be surprising if Knight makes it to the 2026 Olympics. On Canada's side, Jocelyn Laroque is still one of the best in the world and hasn't lost a step. She's a player who should see the longevity of her time with Canada, particularly looking at their current blueline situation, prolonged by the PHWL.