The Montreal Victoire were the second team this season to secure their PWHL Walter Cup playoff spot. They did it with a 3-0 shutout over the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and in the process set a new PWHL record for collecting points in 12 consecutive games.
The Montréal Victoire secured their spot in the 2026 Walter Cup playoffs Wednesday night in Laval defeating the Vancouver Goldeneyes 3-0 with Ann-Renée Desbiens’ recording her sixth shutout of the season.
Desbiens' turned aside 18 shots in the win, which also gave Montreal a point in their 12th straight game, a streak that set a new PWHL record. In the league's inaugural season, the Toronto Sceptres recorded points in 11 consecutive games, which Montreal tied in Detroit on the weekend, but they passed that mark with their win over Vancouver.
Playing two scoreless periods, it wasn't until Hayley Scamurra took a net front pass off the cycle in the third and beat Emerance Maschmeyer who made 25 saves in the loss to give the Victoire a 1-0 lead.
With time running down, Vancouver pulled Maschmeyer , which allowed the Victoire to find the open net twice, one coming from Scamurra, her second goal of the game, and the other from defender Maggie Flaherty.
“I thought Vancouver played a really tough game," said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. "They were very physical and played desperate hockey. I think it took us until the third period to kind of match that desperation. Even after we scored the empty net goal, there was still lots of game left to play in my mind even though it was like the 1:40 or 1:50 minute mark, and I think we found a way to win when I didn't think we had our A-game."
“It was a playoff type atmosphere, and anybody's game coming into the third," said Vancouver coach Brian Idalski. "So, hats off to Montréal. I thought they played a very solid game from start to finish. Obviously [through the first two periods Vancouver had] some pretty big penalty kills, and I thought we did much better in the second with the neutral zone and played some good road hockey. Just hoping to create a little more in the third there, get an opportunity.”
Montreal now sits with 49 points after 24 games, only two points behind first place Boston, and six points ahead of third place Minnesota. Vancouver remains in the playoff hunt, but the opportunity for the expansion team to make the postseason is rapidly slipping away. Vancouver is currently seven points behind fourth place Toronto with six games remaining.