PWHL teams are feeling the impact of a shortened preseason, and also taking advantage of the reps some players received during the Rivalry Series to make roster decisions at camp.
PWHL teams are feeling the impact of a shortened preseason, and also taking advantage of the reps some players received during the Rivalry Series to make roster decisions at camp.
Ottawa defeated Boston 6-1 yesterday in Verdun. Danielle Serdachny’s line was on fire with five points. But beyond wins and stats, it is interesting in this preseason to see how head coaches are using their players, especially their goalies. With only two preseason games, and teams having between three and five goalies at camp, a question arises: is two preseason games enough?
New York made Corrine Schroeder play a full game, and then some since it went into overtime. The Frost played twice already and used all of their four goalies, between 20 and 40 minutes each. In its first game, Ottawa had Emerance Maschmayer played a full 60-minute game, while Ann-Renee Desbiens in Montreal played the first two periods. And in Boston, Aerin Frankel hasn’t played a single minute in two games.
Different strategies, different realities. Boston head coach Courtney Kessel explained hers.
“Frankel got some games in against Canada. And we thought, and her thought was to get some skills sessions with our goalie coach and to spend more time on the ice and see a little bit more pucks than you do in a game.”
The Rivalry Series makes a difference
Kessel brings up a good point. The Rivalry Series has to be factored in, especially since it was a camp before the camp as it ended just days before the start of the PWHL training camps.
In total, Frankel played 120 minutes for Team USA. Nicole Hensley played 43 minutes, and Gwyneth Philips only played a period. For Team Canada, Ann-Renée Desbiens played 104 minutes, Emerance Maschmeyer played a full game, while Kristen Campbell played one period.
Therefore, the reality is different for every team, depending on whether you had a goalie – or a player for that matter – who was part of Team Canada or Team USA. Those players have a clear advantage coming in those PWHL camps.
“It’s good to get your timing right. Like anybody it’s hard to hop into a game right away. So yeah, I think there’s a little bit of an advantage,” admitted forward Jamie Lee Rattray, who played two games for Canada during the Rivalry Series.
Only two preseason games make it harder on coaches when they have to compare and evaluate their players. On the ice, at the same time, you have players who have been practising and playing at a high level for the past few weeks, and others who didn’t have the same opportunities. Some NCAA or USports rookies haven’t played competitive hockey in over six months.
“I think it’s really hard to make a decision this fast,” said Kessel when asked about goalie Klara Peslarova’s performance. “It’s the tough part. There’s only one net and there are only six teams and there are a lot of great goalies in this game.”
Peslarova is one of 13 different goalies who have been used in this preseason, but only two played 60 minutes or more. In total, 23 goalies were invited to camps. With only two games left in the preseason, a lot won’t be able to show what they are capable of.
Emerance Maschmeyer is one of the two goalies who played 60 minutes in the preseason, something that was imperative for her.
“For me as a goaltender it’s good to get a full 60 minutes,” mentioned Maschmeyer, who had 36 saves against Boston yesterday. “You have to work through your routine, the TV timeouts, so it’s incredibly important going into the season that’s coming up so shortly.”
A longer preseason for next year?
And although the situation is different for forwards and defence players, there’s not a lot of games, or a lot of practises to evaluate everyone. On-ice practices started on November 14, and merely 13 days later, GM will already have to choose their 23-person rosters.
“Last year we had six weeks and it felt long and here we are with a shorter time, and we’re like ‘maybe it’s not enough’,” said Kessel. “So, finding a healthy balance for everyone would be great.”
Something echoed by Maschmeyer as well.
“The preseason is quick this season. I know last year we got together I think mid-November and we had three games in Utica, and still had a few weeks of preseason practices before getting into games. I think that was a little long and we were so ready to play by the time the season started. Yeah, I think a little more games wouldn’t hurt anyone. I think the first couple of games are always a little chaotic. There’s a lot to sort out. And at camp, there are a lot of players so it’s tough to get minutes for sure.”
This is definitely something the league will have to consider for next season, even more so if two teams are added and more new rules are adopted.