"Consistency."

It's what Toronto head coach Troy Ryan spoke about as a need in the Sceptres' crease, and as a reason for the team going a different direction in their crease this season.

It was highlighted by Toronto's decision to move on from Kristen Campbell this offseason. It was also a point in Toronto's formation of a new tandem this season featuring Raygan Kirk and Elaine Chuli. Ryan said that for the tandem to work, and one to emerge as a number one, "consistency is probably the most important factor in all of that."

Conveniently enough, following Campbell's 24-save shutout performance over her former team, one of the first words she spoke about was "consistency."

"Honestly, my goal for this year is just consistency," Campbell said post-game. "So whenever I do get the opportunity to execute my controllables and help our team in whatever way I can get the win, our environment here is just so great and so supportive and so uplifting. It's just a lot of fun to come to the rink everyday and I just keep building my game...."

The win for the banished netminder was a moment of redemption against the team that rested much of their playoff failures on Campbell's shoulders.

For Campbell, whether it was vocalized or not, Thursday's win was a moment of redemption. Campbell was removed from Canada's senior national team program roster this summer by Toronto Sceptres' head coach Troy Ryan and general manager Gina Kingsbury.

There was also an attempt to terminate Campbell's contract to make her a free agent.

Then, during the league's exclusive signing period, Toronto made the move to offer Elaine Chuli, who spent the previous two seasons as Montreal's backup, a contract. The Sceptres made the deal to bring in Chuli as the team's new tandem partner with Raygan Kirk, and Campbell was either going to be Toronto's third goalie, or be traded.

At the 2025 PWHL Draft, Toronto made a deal to retain a chunk of Campbell's contract and send her to Vancouver in exchange for draft picks. 

It was a messy break up for a goaltender who was the 2024 PWHL Goaltender of the Year and long-time Canadian national team member.

Perhaps the question with Kristen Campbell is not so much about her play, but about the play of the team in front of her, and the confidence she feels from staff.

In Toronto during the team's inaugural season, the team led the league in goals for, averaging 2.87 per game. During her second campaign with the team, that output dropped to 2.43 per game for the Sceptres, and Campbell's wins dropped with it. 

Campbell certainly struggled at times in both of her seasons in Toronto, being undeniably one of the league's best on some nights, and looking pedestrian on others. 

Since her departure from Toronto, however, consistency for the Sceptres defensively and in net has not improved. While she's played fewer games, Campbell's stats now sit above both Chuli and Kirk's numbers in Toronto.

In four appearances Campbell has a 2.01 GAA and .928 save percentage.

In Toronto, Kirk has a 2.33 GAA and .917 save percentage, while Chuli has a 2.66 GAA and .903 save percentage. Perhaps it's less about Toronto's consistency in net, and more about what's happening in front of the net and on the bench for the Sceptres.

Whether there's more to read into the current situation in Toronto's crease, what's clear is that Kristen Campbell put together a statement performance against her former team on Thursday in Vancouver. It's a win that put her team on an upward trajectory and has helped change Vancouver's overall outlook for the season.