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Tereza Vanisova Has Earned Consideration For PWHL MVP
Tereza Vanisova has played her way into a prestigious conversation. The Ottawa Charge forward should be considered a leading candidate for the PWHL's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
There are players with more points, but there are few in the PWHL with more impact.
Looking at the PWHL's top three goal scorers this season, Marie-Philip Poulin leads the way with 17, followed by Vanisova and Hilary Knight, who are tied with 15.
When you break it down further, Vanisova leads that trio in goals/60 minutes. She sits at 2.15 G/60. Poulin follows at 2.01 G/60, and Knight at 1.57 G/60.
When Vanisova is on the ice, no player is as threatening.
Big Moments Cause Vanisova To Rise
From before Tereza Vansiova joined the PWHL, she was a big game player. On the Czech national team, Vanisova has been there for the team rising to promotion, and eventually winning bronze at the top division of the World Championships.
Professionally, she scored the overtime winner for the Toronto Six in the PHF final. It was the final goal ever in league history, and gave her team an Isobel Cup title.
This season, Vanisova has risen time and again when her team needed it. With the playoffs seemingly slipping away in recent weeks, Vanisova has been at her best. On March 22, she scored a hat trick to lift the Ottawa Charge to a 5-2 win over New York. It was a crucial regulation win in the Charge's push for playoffs.
It was her second hat trick of the season. The first came back in February in an 8-3 win over the Minnesota Frost.
Then, following a devastating loss earlier this week that could have derailed even the most focused team, Vanisova stepped up yet again scoring twice in a crucial 2-1 win over the Boston Fleet. Vanisova scored twice late in the third period in a 32 second span to flip the script from trailing 1-0, to leading and winning 2-1.
Unique Physicality
It's not typically the stat you want to lead the league in, but Tereza Vanisova plays with an edge, and she doesn't hold back. It's resulted in Vanisova being penalized more than any player in the PWHL with 38 minutes. Directly behind her in the stat are Sarah Fillier (33) and Renata Fast (30). Playing with a physical edge in the PWHL is no an exception, it's become nearly a necessity for success.
When the league was formed, it was unclear what level of body contact would be permitted, but with year two quickly coming to a close, it's clear that the more physical players in the league, are often more successful.
Vanisova drives play not only through her hands, skating, and scoring, but by being a physical presence on the ice.
While the PWHL may choose the more "obvious" names to promote the league like Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, or Sarah Fillier, Tereza Vanisova belongs in the conversation for the PHWL's Top Forward and MVP.
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Vanišová Steals The Show In Final Takeover Tour Stop, Ottawa Moves Into A Playoff Spot
In the final Takeover Tour game of the season, the Ottawa Charge faced a crucial test following a crushing home loss to New York on Tuesday. The team needed a win to reenter the playoff race, and they found a way to grind out a 2-1 victory against the Boston Fleet in St. Louis. Tereza Vanišová was the hero, scoring two clutch goals just 32 seconds apart in the third period to seal the win. Those back-to-back goals set a new PWHL record, breaking Susanna Tapani's previous mark of 49 seconds. With the win, Ottawa leapfrogged the Minnesota Frost into fourth place, edging them out by a single point.
The victory didn’t come easy, as Ottawa faced relentless pressure from Boston, which was also eager to bounce back from a tough loss. Ottawa struggled to find offensive rhythm throughout much of the game, with their best chances coming late in the third period. Boston’s goaltender Aerin Frankel kept Ottawa at bay, seeing the puck clearly and limiting scoring opportunities, which played a big part in helping her team hold onto the lead until late.
“We found our game in the second period, and you saw it in the third," said Ottawa defender Jincy Roese. "I’m just grateful for the group we have and for the opportunity to play in St. Louis.”
Discipline remains a concern for Ottawa as they took three penalties in the first period and five overall. However, their penalty kill, which had been a weak point all season, stood strong. Ottawa successfully killed off all five of Boston’s power plays, providing a promising sign of improvement in this area. On the other side, Ottawa’s power play came through when it mattered most, with Vanišová scoring the game-winning goal during a key power play.
“They’ve been great the whole season,” Boston Fleet forward Susanna Tapani said. “They go wherever we go and it’s obviously nice to have our fans here as the home team. It actually felt like we were at home today.”
A standout performer for Ottawa was Gwyneth Philips, who has truly risen to the occasion in her rookie season. Her remarkable 27-save performance in net was vital in keeping Ottawa in the game, particularly as Boston surged for an equalizer in the closing minutes. Philips' poise and composure under pressure were key factors in securing the victory.
With this win, Ottawa finishes their Takeover Tour campaign with a 1-0-1-2 record. Next, they’ll face Boston again on Wednesday in a rematch, with the Fleet sure to be hungry for revenge.
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Final Stop On PWHL Takeover Tour Highlights Attendance Growth, League Trails Only NHL
A year ago, people celebrated the 8,850 fans in attendance in Pittsburgh for one of two Takeover stops in the PWHL's inaugural season. This year, that number would be seen as a failure.
The continued success of nearly every stop on the PWHL's 2024-25 Takeover Tour highlights the continued attendance growth in the league.
Through eight stops on the PWHL Takeover Tour this season, the league has averaged 14,378 fans per game, helping to push the overall league average to 7,333. Those numbers included a pair of games topping 14,000 fans in Denver and Detroit, breaking and then re-breaking the American professional women's hockey single game attendance record.
The PWHL is firmly entrenched as the second most attended hockey league in North America. This season the American Hockey League, the top affiliate league for the NHL, is averaging just over 5,600 fans per game. The ECHL, the second level affiliates for the NHL, are at roughly 4,700 per game.
The league also far surpassed each of North America's prominent junior leagues.
In some limited opportunities, the PWHL even surpassed the NHL. For example, the PWHL Takeover Tour stop in Vancouver drew 19.038 fans. It's more than the Vancouver Canucks have drawn at any single game this season. The same could be said for the NHL's preseason visit to the Videotron Centre in Quebec City compared to the PWHL's.
The league is set to announce expansion details and plans within the next few days. It's believed the new market(s) will be one's visited on the PWHL Takeover Tour this season.
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"Quebec City has proven itself," Officials Believe
Potential PWHL markets know that an announcement from the league is imminent regarding expansion. Jackie Smith, a councillor and mayoral candidate in Quebec City who has backed the push for another PWHL team in the province believes her city has proven itself to the league and women's hockey world.
"Quebec City has proven itself," said Smith in a release. "We have the best arena to host a team, we have a population that loves the sport, and a loyal fan base ready to attend games in droves. No one questions our city's hockey culture, and we are fortunate to have a strong pool of talented young players. During the Takeover Tour, Quebec City demonstrated that we are ready to have our team. A team in the magnificent Videotron Centre would put a spotlight on the league and its players and elevate women’s hockey in general."
The belief however, is that the PWHL plans to move West in their upcoming expansion with a focus on broadcasting and reaching new geographic regions.
"In the event the league prefers to expand west, I humbly suggest it consider the relevance of keeping teams in cities like Boston and New York, where attendances are meager. A move could be beneficial, given that the record crowds Boston and New York are attracting are comparable to average attendance of minor league hockey in Quebec City," continued Smith.
Quebec City drew 18,259 to their Takeover Tour game at the Videotron Centre.
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PWHL Race Heats Up, Here's The Tie Breakers That Could Factor In
The PWHL playoff race is tightening game by game. Last year the PWHL's tiebreakers came into play at the Boston Fleet and Minnesota Frost finished the year with 35 points each.
This year, with the playoff race looking like it will come down to the final games of the season, tie breakers could come into play yet again. Last season, the tie breaker went to the fifth scenario with Boston finishing ahead of Minnesota after the teams tied with 35 points, regulation wins (8), and overtime wins (4).
According to the PWHL, here are the tie breaking scenarios based on the regular season standings for playoff seeding:
1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage - only applicable during season if teams have played different number of games). 2. The greater number of games won, excluding games won in Overtime or by Shootout (i.e., 'Regulation Wins'). This figure is reflected by the 'W' column. 3. The greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout (i.e., 'Regulation and Overtime Wins'). 4. The greater number of games won by the Club in any manner (i.e., 'Total Wins'). This figure is obtained by adding the values from the 'W' and 'OTW' columns. 5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs. For the purpose of determining standing for two or more Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game (the 'odd game') shall not be included. When more than two Clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any 'odd games') shall be used to determine standing. 6. The greater differential between goals for and against (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. 7.. The greater number of goals scored (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the GF column.
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Ottawa Finally Scores An Overtime Goal To Oust New York
The Ottawa Charge lifted an enormous monkey off their back on Wednesday night, scoring their first-ever overtime goal to oust the struggling New York Sirens 5-4. Ottawa held an 0-7 all-time overtime record before Feb. 26.
After clearing a net-front scramble in her own end to begin the extra frame, the red-hot Gabbie Hughes took a pass from Ronja Savolainen and slung it over the blocker of the Sirens’ Corinne Schroeder to call game.
https://x.com/PWHL_Ottawa/status/1894944590299279611
“It's a great moment for us and obviously well-earned by Hughes, but you could feel our momentum building heading into overtime, and again, we just said, ‘let's go win it,’” said head coach Carla MacLeod.
Hughes has five goals and three assists in her past five games, putting her on pace to easily surpass her offensive benchmarks of last season. Her clutch ability has been key to Ottawa earning extra points.
“In those kind of moments, [you get] a little bit of blackout, you get the adrenaline pumping … but I remember it almost going in in our end and saying ‘I need I need to make up for this,’” Hughes said.
She credited her recent stretch of play to the team’s Feb. 13 game in support of mental health, which brought Hughes’ connection with awareness group Sophie’s Squad into the spotlight.
“[The] beginning of the season was a slower start for me, but since having that Sophie’s Squad game here, [that] really gave things a bigger picture of why I'm really playing the sport and who I'm playing it for,” she said.
Heading into an eight-day break, it’s only the second time in franchise history that the Charge have recorded points in five straight games, dating back to their 8-3 win over the Minnesota Frost on Feb. 13.
The Charge controlled play for long stretches of the first 40 minutes, highlighted by Taylor House’s first career PWHL goal to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead.
It was an unusual first goal for the 26-year-old role player, who said she never even felt the puck touch her stick on its way in. The subtle deflection also eluded the public address announcer, who mistakenly credited the goal to defender Stephanie Markowski.
https://x.com/PWHL_Ottawa/status/1894918131463623004
“I was excited for [Markowski], but there's a lot of plays that led to that shot and I'm a big body, so I do like to screen, so it's kind of a ‘me’ goal to get,” House said, laughing. “I knew I swung and I had people say it moved.”
However, the final 20 presented unique challenges that threatened to nullify Ottawa’s momentum. With Ottawa holding a one-goal lead with just over half the third period to play, a fortuitous bounce landed in Sirens’ Abby Roque’s glove, allowing her to sneak the puck past an unsuspecting Emerance Maschmeyer.
https://x.com/PWHL_NewYork/status/1894937207950934457
Making matters worse was the train to the penalty box that ensued. Ottawa couldn’t catch a break with three straight penalties in five minutes.
“There were a lot of variables that were a bit of a head-scratcher at times, and trying to manage that was a big part of our third period,” MacLeod said. “Some nights you just can't seem to get a break and they're getting calls that I'm not sure would be called in other moments.”
As MacLeod said, the Charge found a way to break through in the end, something that has eluded them in the past with their previously 0-7 all-time overtime record.
“We're on a mission as Ottawa Charge, so we're going to rise in those moments.”
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Poulin-Stacey Reunion Sparks Offense as Desbiens Shines in 3-1 Victory
It was thanks to a combination of goaltending brilliance and top line excellence that led to the Montreal Victoire’s win over the Toronto Sceptres on Feb. 25.
Montreal returned to the win column after a two-game skid with a 3-1 triumph at Place Bell.
Tuesday night’s game marked the first instance of Laura Stacey paired alongside Marie-Philip Poulin in the starting lineup since Stacey endured a lower-body injury back in January. The tandem played with Jennifer Gardiner and all three forwards tallied a goal in the game.
“We were rewarded tonight with thse three each getting a goal,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “It was the right decision [playing that line together].”
Victoire netminder Ann-Renée Desbiens had another impressive showing, improving to ten wins and an impressive 1.72 GAA/.936 SP. Desbiens stopped 24 of the 25 shots she faced, making 24 straight saves after surrendering the opening goal to Sceptres forward Jesse Compher.
“I don’t think we need to say much [to each other],” said Poulin when asked about whether she and Desbiens feed off of one another.
“You always want to give your team a chance to win,” siad Desbiens. “[Poulin] always tries to do that, and I try to do that. I think we can build momentum and also just make sure the other players are trying to play as hard as she does.”
Toronto was on a hot streak heading into their contest against Montreal. The team from the six had won six-straight meetings leading up to Tuesday, and were finishing off the tailend of an eleven-day road trip. Toronto sits in second place in the overall PWHL standings with 32 points, a complete 180 from the last place positioning the team found themselves in earlier in the campaign.
“Where we were seven or eight games ago to where we are today, and to do that all on a 12-day road trip with some East to West travel,” said Toronto head coach Troy Ryan. “I think these players deserve a lot of credit for just the effort they put forward.”
Montreal has a firm hold of the first place spot in the standings, improving to 10-3-4-1 following the win against Toronto. The game comes off of back-to-back losses for the team, and Tuesday’s win marked a fair deal of relief for the team.
“We needed that one,” said Cheverie. “For so many reasons. Two games [with a loss] in this league is probably equivalent to like six or eight in the NHL, and it feels that way too.”
Montreal will turn their attention to Saturday’s matchup against the Boston Fleet at the Bell Centre. The puck is set to drop at 2 p.m. EST.
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Takeaways: Unstoppable Power Play, Miller Time, and Campbell Comes Back
The Toronto Sceptres continued their winning ways as they beat the New York Sirens 4-1 for their fifth straight win on the back of Hannah Miller's four point night.
Here are three takeaways from Toronto’s win on Wednesday.
Power Play Works At Historic Rate
The Sceptres power play continued its historic pace as they tortured their opponent with the extra skater again on Wednesday.
The Sceptres scored three power play goals on four opportunities against the Sirens. In their last eight games the Sceptres are 15 for 29 on the power play or just above 51%. With their success on the power play Wednesday, the Sceptres improved to 33% on the season, the best in the PWHL.
The Sceptres power play has scored in eight straight games and has been the Sceptres biggest generator of offense during their current eight game point streak.
The team does need to find some more consistency at even strength in order to sustain their success moving forward.
It’s Miller Time
In a season where she is putting her name in the running for MVP, Hannah Miller had her best performance yet in New Jersey.
The scorer tallied two goals and two assists for a total of four points to help the Sceptres come away with the win.
Miller got her night going in the second period, as a deflection off a Sirens stick allowed the puck to trickle over the shoulder of Corinne Schroeder and into the net.
Miller scored her second of the game with a bullet from the point for the Sceptres second power play goal. She also set up Julia Gosling for her second goal of the game with a pass into the slot which Gosling tipped in.
Miller is only the third player in the PWHL to score four points in a single game, this total also gives her sole possession of the league scoring lead with 22.
Campbell Stays Solid
After a very difficult start to her season, Kristen Campbell was nothing but a steady presence for the Sceptres, making key saves in the win last night.
One of her best saves of the night came early in the second period as Alex Carpenter came streaking in on a breakaway but was denied by the sprawling pad of Campbell to keep the game even.
Campbell was also a critical part of the Sceptres' penalty kill as the use of her stick shut down the passing lane in front of her crease, in turn keeping the shots in front of her.
Overall, Campbell made 23 saves in the game for the Sceptres to pick up her second win in a row.
Troy Ryan is in a good position heading down the stretch with both goalies playing at a high level.
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What do you think should be done to boost New York Sirens' attendance?
Here's How The PWHL Can Avoid Relocating The New York Sirens - The Hockey News Womens News, Analysis and More
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About Women's Hockey RoundtableWomen's hockey news, video, analysis and community on The Hockey News
Follow all women's hockey news at https://thehockeynews.com/womens/GraemeMay 14, 2024
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