PWHL Boston head coach Courtney Kessel and PWHL Boston captain Hilary Knight discuss heading into the PWHL playoffs on a hot streak. With PWHL Toronto selecting Minnesota as their opponent for the first round of the playoffs, Montreal is set to battle with Boston in the inaugural PWHL postseason opening round. “As the news broke, I was driving,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “People were calling me as I was driving. It was pretty cool to have this experience.” “Habs are out, [Laval] Rocket are out. We’re really lucky to be able to play at Place Bell. Thursday can not come quick enough,” said Montreal forward and captain Marie-Philip Poulin. The hockey rivalry between Montreal and Boston dates back nearly 100 years, with the first series between the Bruins and Canadiens debuting in 1929. “To keep this rivalry going—being now on the Boston side again—it’s one of the better rivalries in pro sports, especially for hockey,” said Boston forward and Captain Hilary Knight. The teams tied the regular season series 2-2, yet Boston won the most recent contest in a 4-3 nailbiter on May 4. Three of the four games finished by a one-goal deficit. “We know it’s going to be a battle no matter who we’re facing,” said Boston head coach Courtney Kessel. “Every single game has been a fight to the end. We saw that in the last second of that [May 4] game. We’re just excited to get going.” While physicality was mentioned by both Poulin and Cheverie, it was the bench boss who emphasized composure. “To be disciplined and to play within our game plan. I think whoever sticks to their game plan the best is going to be able to win this series,” Cheverie added. While numerous faces of women’s hockey will be featured in the series, and the copious injuries that have plagued the Montreal lineup, curiosity surrounding the status of Mélodie Daoust did arise. “I don’t have an answer for you on an activation for Daoust at this moment in time,” said Cheverie. “But we’re going to be looking at all situations, all scenarios to make sure that our team is put in the best position to have success. We’ll be making that decision over the next few days.” Game one is set to take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 9 at Place Bell Arena in Laval, Que.
