PWHL Power Rankings: Toronto Really Is The Center Of The (Hockey) Universe

Another week of PWHL play is in the books, and PWHL Toronto is now the center of the hockey universe.

Perhaps there are times when the rest of Canada refers to Toronto as the centre of the universe in a derisive manner. When it comes to professional women's hockey however, Toronto truly was the centre of the universe this week. Not only did PWHL Toronto crush all documented women's hockey attendance records of the modern era with 19,285 fans packing into Scotiabank Arena, but they also continued dismantling teams on the ice.

Here's a look at at THN-W's PWHL Power Rankings for the week ending February 17, 2024:

No team has turned things around like PWHL Toronto. They've had more go right for them in February than any other team. From Natalie Spooner's single handed heroic scoring, to a fully healthy lineup, getting Victoria Bach on a full-time contract, to a complete 180 from Kristen Campbell who has gone from questionable at best, to questionably the best. An emphatic 3-0 shutout over Montreal this week in front of a historic crowd was enough to send Toronto to the top. They still trail in the standings, but no team is hotter in the PWHL right now.

Montreal is another PWHL team with a rabid fan following right now and for good reason. It doesn't matter what goaltender is in net, Montreal is being given a chance to win each night. What's really working for Montreal is that they're scoring by committee, and not relying solely on Marie-Philip Poulin (although they could). If there's a question mark remaining, it's if Montreal is getting enough of a contribution from their blueline, and how that blueline will stand up as games get even tougher. For now, there are few reasons to doubt Montreal's results.

Sending Susanna Tapani to Boston the same week they lost Taylor Heise to injury was a tough pill to swallow, but Minnesota has held their own. Players like Claire Butorac and even Kendall Coyne Schofield have really taken their games to a new level this week. If Coyne Schofield continues finding her rhythm and regaining her touch as she has, it's scary to think how good she'll be come playoffs. Minnesota certainly wasn't happy with how they played in both of their 2-1 wins over Ottawa, but they still got the results. Sophie Jaques looked like a new player in her first week in Minnesota, which is something exciting to see. The list could go on for positive performances. They'll miss Abby Boreen moving forward as she only has one more 10-day contract available.

Boston just can't get their offense going, which is a frightening statement given the arsenal they have on paper. After an early breakout, Loren Gabel hasn't been her same noticeable self, and Hilary Knight continues to struggle. Expectations with Knight should be tempered however, as she only scored four goals in 18 games last season in a weaker PWHPA. It feels like for Boston, this will simply be a puzzle of rearranging lines until something really clicks, because they have all the right pieces. It's only a matter of time before a group of these players start scoring at will. There's some concern over the starts they're getting from Emma Soderberg. If Boston isn't going to be the goal scoring dynamo many predicted, they better get some timely saves.

There are times when New York can lift you out of your seat. There are times when New York can have you banging your head on your seat. Corinne Schroeder has stopped a lot of rubber this season facing 244 shots in seven games. For comparison, Toronto's Kristen Campbell has only faved 10 addition shots in 2.5 more games. Alex Carpenter continues to be one of the top threats in the league up front, and the healthy return of Jill Saulnier will be a significant boost to their secondary attack. 

If you believe in 'puck luck', if you believe in 'hockey gods' or if you simply believe in 'bad bounces', PWHL Ottawa has had it all. Emily Clark looked like she took the step from being dangerous to being deadly this week, but other players like Daryl Watts and Brianne Jenner remain snakebitten. Watts is destined to break out as she's one of the most exciting players on the ice, and Jenner's shift to the wing should help her production as well. Emerance Maschmeyer has just been, 'ok', and Abstreiter just hasn't played, which is an arena of concern for Ottawa. Every metric says they should be scoring and winning more than they are...so it's probably time to break out the good luck charms and hope. Ottawa maintains they believe in their process, but that needs to turn from belief to results before it's too late.