The Toronto Sceptres are finding their footing at the right time. Since returning from the Olympic break, they’ve picked up points in every game — a stretch that has kept them firmly in the playoff race. With another matchup against first-place Boston up next and three head-to-head games still to come against the Ottawa Charge (the team they are directly chasing) every point — and every contribution — carries added weight. And those contributions are coming from the players you'd expect, but several 'unsung heroes' as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claire Dalton hasn’t scored a goal yet this season, but her impact has been noticeable in other ways. Her ice time has climbed steadily in recent games — including surpassing 20 minutes in the game against Seattle — reflecting growing trust from the coaching staff. Claire Dalton her role with the Sceptres That trust has come from a simple approach. “I think I came into this year with the mindset of just not having expectations,” Dalton said. “I sort of let my play dictate the role that I was going to have.” Her flexibility has allowed her to move throughout the lineup, including stepping into a top-line role when needed without disrupting the flow of play. That impact hasn’t gone unnoticed inside the room. “I think one person that maybe doesn’t get talked about enough is Claire Dalton,” Renata Fast said. “Her patience and composure with the puck — she makes some really difficult plays look easy.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bottom six has also stepped up with some depth scoring at just the right time. Sara Hjalmarsson now has three goals since the break, and Emma Woods scored her first goal of the season as well. For Woods, it was a moment that followed a stretch of limited ice time but some key contributions on both sides of the puck. She was also trusted (twice) in the shootout against Montreal — another sign of how her role is evolving. “You have to have an impact every time you go on the ice,” Woods said. “It doesn’t matter where you are in the lineup. If we want to make a push here, everyone has to own their role and try to bring something.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you watch closely, you'll see the trend happening everywhere on the ice. Board battles, zone exits, blocked shots -- the kind of plays you see in the playoffs, which essentially, the Sceptres have acknowledged is where they are now, fighting elimination in every game. Maggie Connors has taken on increased responsibility in recent games, with her ice time climbing into the high teens while continuing to contribute through that detail work — getting pucks into the offensive zone, fighting for every extra second of possession, finding teammates with passes that connect. It’s the type of contribution that, as Fast pointed out, is often more noticeable internally than externally, and isn't always asked about by the media. “Maybe like in our opinion, if there's someone that impressed you that night, it does give a good opportunity to show someone that, for us in the locker room, there might be a focus for the game and someone on the team executed it very, very well,” she said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the back end, few players embody that reliability more than Kali Flanagan. Flanagan has consistently logged heavy minutes in all situations, often exceeding 20 minutes per game while continuing to contribute offensively. Her role has only grown in importance as the season has progressed. “Her skating is such a big part of it,” head coach Troy Ryan said. “She’s running one of our power-play units, she’s killing penalties, she’s playing key minutes for us. “She’s just someone you can rely on. She’s such an efficient skater that she doesn’t wear down as the game goes on, and she’s not going to make bad decisions because of fatigue. “I don’t even think we’ve seen her ceiling yet. She just gives us the depth we need on the back end.” Fast echoed that assessment. “Kali's been phenomenal for us,” she said. “Her skating ability and the way she moves the puck — she’s such an important part of our back end.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That balance of contributions — from different players in different roles — is reinforced by captain Blayre Turnbull. Turnbull has been asked to carry more of the load offensively for the Sceptres. She has already surpassed her goal totals from previous years and is finishing at a significantly higher rate, while continuing to take on heavy minutes and key defensive assignments. That production has come at important times, including the opening (and game-winning) goal against Seattle. But just as telling was what followed. After opening the scoring, Turnbull recognized between periods that she had begun to drift to the wrong side of the puck in search of offense — and adjusted her game accordingly. "She's just an honest player, an honest person, and she held herself accountable," Ryan said of that moment. “Blayre's at her best when she’s curious offensively and looking to expand her game, but she still understands how valuable she is as a hard person to play against, a shutdown kind of person,” Ryan said. “The good thing is she’s adding offense without sacrificing the defensive side." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sceptres may still lean on their top players. But in a playoff race that will likely be decided by very narrow margins, contributions big and small will ultimately make the difference.
