PWHL New York put together a better team effort, playing a fun full 60 minutes on Monday to beat PWHL Boston, snapping a seven game losing streak for the team.
PWHL New York forward Jade Downie-Landry has been a thorn in Boston's side all season, and her role as a major nemesis ended her team's seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory at UBS Arena on Monday night.
The win was New York's first since Feb. 21 when they prevailed in a 3-2 shootout win -- also at UBS Arena -- against Montreal. The hosts had not come out on top in regulation on home ice before Monday.
The 28-year-old Downie-Landry, a member of the PHF's Montreal Force over the 2022-23 campaign, scored her second power-play goal of the game a little over seven minutes into the third period.
All three of New York's goal came on the player advantage as Boston was penalized six times to only one for New York.
Downie-Landry's clincher proved to be the difference as New York had to stave off a Boston comeback bid that included Sophie Shirley's third goal with still over 10 minutes remaining.
For Downie-Landry, the decisive tally was her sixth this season. However, the problem for Boston is that five of those goals have come against them as she recorded a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Tsongas Center on Jan. 20.
“There’s been games where we haven’t had the outcome we’ve wanted and it’s easy to get lost in the competition, the outcome," said Downie-Landry following the game. "We work hard and sometimes things don’t go our way. We make mistakes. And I think one of the focuses going into this game for me was just to have fun, especially with my linemates. Bringing them up and having fun with each other was a big factor in our game, and I think that was felt throughout the whole team.”
The visitors were buzzing down the stretch. Many of their 16 shots on goal that period came with New York having to put forth their best defensive performance to preserve the triumph.
New York had allowed Boston only 15 shots total over the entire first two periods.
Unlike their all-around performances throughout more than a month of defeats, New York had the better of play in this Elmont, N.W. showdown. The hosts checked off one box after another seemingly from the midway point of the first period to the final buzzer.
Winning puck battles in all zones? Check. Tenacious along the boards? Check. Crisper passing and setting up quality scoring chances? Check. Pesky with the forecheck and disruptive on the opponent's rushes? Check.
In fact, New York's gritty effort was never more evident than on Downie-Landry's insurance goal.
Smothered against the boards and down on the ice, she managed to get back on her feet, skate through the traffic, set herself in position and deposit the pass from Elizabeth Giguere past Boston netminder Aerin Frankel.
“We played a good, full 60 [minutes] this game, and I think we haven’t done that really all season long," said Giguere. "So, it was nice to get a full 60, get ahead and just get the win.”
New York had capitalized on a pair of power-play opportunities over the first five-and-a-half minutes of the second period to jump ahead 2-0.
Downie-Landry converted a feed from captain Micah Zandee Hart at the 2:12 mark, and Giguere received a pass from Downie-Landry and beat Frankel from in close for her second goal this season.
To add insult to injury, Downie-Landry had an assist on Giguere's goal for a three-point night and 10 (6 goals, 4 assists) points this season.
The 2-0 lead lasted only 58 seconds, however, as Alina Muller faked a cross-ice pass and sent a snap shot over the shoulder of New York goalie Corinne Schroeder to cut the deficit in half. The goal was Muller's third.
After a lackluster first 10 minutes, New York picked up the pace in the first period and started to establish more consistent zone time. The hosts started to gain an edge in terms of controlling the pace the play and that carried over into the second and third periods.