Based on regular season performance, it's the Montreal Victoire's series to lose. But facing the back-to-back Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost, anything can happen.
The Montreal Victoire finished first overall in the PWHL standings. It's the second straight season the Victoire have finished first, and in the league's three seasons, Montreal has not finished lower than second in the regular season.
Montreal however, has yet to make it out of the opening round of the PWHL playoffs. With the opportunity to pick their opponent again this season, Montreal picked the third place finishers, the back-to-back Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost. The decision left the fourth place team, the Ottawa Charge, for the Boston Fleet.
It's Montreal's Series To Lose
Prior to the Olympics, the Victoire beat the Frost in overtime in both of their meetings.
Post Olympics Montreal beat Minnesota 4-0 and 3-0.
As important as the score on the board at the end of the game, Montreal held the play in those games outshooting Minnesota 125-83 in those four games.
Montreal swept the season series, and got stronger as the year went on against Minnesota.
Scoring Versus Goaltending
Minnesota finished the 2025-26 PWHL regular season with a league record 91 goals.
They also had the top three scorers in the regular season including Kelly Pannek, whose 33 points was a new league record, Taylor Heise, who was only the second plyer ever to hit 30 points, Britta Curl-Salemme who recorded 29 points. It wasn't just the trio however, as the Frost were the first team in league history to have five players score 10 goals and 20 points each.
On the other side of the puck however, was Ann-Renee Desbiens set new league records for save percentage, goals against average, and wins. She recorded two of her seven shutouts this season against the Frost.
In the regular season, Montreal held the Frost, who averaged more than three goals per game all season, to only three goals total in four games.
Montreal was no slouch when it came to scoring this season themselves recording to second most goals 78, and they did that without the league's reigning MVP who missed 11 games due to injury.
It's a 13 goal difference in goals for, but the most stark difference comes in goals against where Montreal allowed the least goals against, relinquishing only 41 goals, while Minnesota allowed 73.
Overall, Montreal had a positive goal differential of +37, compared to Minnesota who finished far lower at +18.
Will Minnesota Swap Goalies Again?
It's become a playoff habit for the Minnesota Frost to flip flop goalies. Maddie Rooney will likely be Minnesota's playoff starter posting the league's fifth best save percentage at .921. It's the worst of any playoff starter, but in Minnesota, who starts may not be who finishes.
Coach Ken Klee has swapped netminders, giving his team two goalies who both played in and won Walter Cup deciding games the last two seasons. If Rooney falters, Nicole Hensley will be waiting to step in.
Has Montreal Finally Learned Their Lesson?
Montreal made the fatal error of relying too heavily on their top line in the past two playoff runs. The result was a burnt out unit, and an early exit. Montreal went out this offseason and added an abundance of depth including Hayley Scamurra, Jade-Downie Landry, Abby Roque, and Shiann Darkangelo up front, and defenders Maggie Flaherty, Jessica DiGirolamo, and late this season Nadia Mattivi on the blueline. Add in a strong draft class headlined by Nicole Gosling, Natalie Mlynkova, and Skylar Irving, and viola, Montreal has stronger depth than ever before.
Head coach Kori Cheverie must now use that depth to her advantage. Scamurra could be a secret weapon knowing Minnesota's best all too well. But this Montreal roster is not the same that was upset the past two seasons. Depth is now their strength, and their ally, not their adversary.
Game one is May 2 in Montreal.