After a three-game road trip, PWHL Montreal looks to continue building habits in preparation for their home opener on Saturday, Jan. 13 against Boston.
At the end of Friday’s practice, players from PWHL Montreal shared a group hug in an empty Verdun Auditorium. When the team hits the ice next, they will play in front of a sold out crowd of roughly 4,000 fans.
“We’re really happy to be at home,” said head coach Kori Cheverie. “I think we’re the last home opener and probably a much awaited home opener for everybody. Our players are really looking forward to it.”
Through three games, Cheverie’s team holds a record of 2-1-0 and ranks second place in the league. Here are some takeaways ahead of Saturday's game:
Offense Delivers
After a close overtime victory in Ottawa and a shutout loss to Minnesota, Montreal put their best foot forward in their 5-3 win versus New York. Marie-Philip Poulin recorded a hat trick in the contest after a scoreless first two games. Montreal’s top offensive threat displayed great flashes of chemistry with linemate Maureen Murphy, most notably on their back-and-forth exchange that led to Poulin’s second goal. Contributions by Catherine Dubois and Kennedy Marchment followed, as they helped Montreal set a PWHL team record for the highest goals scored in a game.
Dubois Steps Up
Injuries to Ann-Sophie Bettez and Laura Stacey put a dent in Montreal’s top-six lines. Bettez, who scored the game-winning goal in Ottawa, was sidelined for two consecutive games due to precautionary reasons. This was also the case for Stacey, who hasn’t played since Jan. 6. The injuries made room for reserve player Catherine Dubois to slot into the lineup. Signing a 10-day contract with Montreal, Dubois made an immediate impact in her season debut by scoring the first power play goal in franchise history. She was later rewarded with additional special teams play and shifts on the top line alongside Poulin.
Special Teams Dilemma
Despite being the most penalized team with 14 infractions, Montreal is tied for the fourth-best penalty kill at 85.7 per cent. Goaltending has helped relieve some of this pressure, with Ann-Renée Desbiens and Elaine Chuli giving their team chances to reset. However, one area of concern remains – Montreal’s power play – converting once out of nine chances. With a team so heavily reliant on its offensive game, Montreal’s power play needs to find its groove and fast. More times than not, the team that wins the special teams battle wins the game, and wins are certainly not easy to come by in this league.
With that, Montreal now prepares to host Boston on Saturday afternoon in what is shaping up to be an exciting home opener. The game begins at 3:30 p.m.