And just like that, we have ourselves a brand-new series.
It took three overtime periods, but Marie-Philip Poulin finally broke through 104 minutes into Game 2 on Tuesday night. The Montréal Victoire came away with a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Frost, tying up the series 1-1 as it shifts to Saint Paul.
Regulation wasn’t particularly notable on Tuesday. Goaltenders Ann-Renée Desbiens and Maddie Rooney came ready to play after Game 1 saw nine goals, and both teams’ blue lines stepped up their game. With spectacular defence and goaltending, it quickly became clear this one was headed to extra time. Accordingly, the third period saw both teams back off offensively and play more cautious hockey. That brought fewer whistles, and much less special teams action.
In overtime, the Victoire came out guns ablazing and played their best hockey of this series so far.. Through two-and-a-quarter overtime periods, they outshot the Frost 23-11. They owned the majority of time in the offensive zone, often holding Minnesota’s top unit on the ice for long stretches of defensive play. They were physical, but avoided any costly penalties.
“I thought we kept getting better as the game went on, which was great to see,” Victoire coach Kori Cheverie said after the game. “It kind of felt like we were back to our regular selves, which I thought has taken a couple of games, that’s for sure. But I am so happy, and also ready for bed.”
Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for this Thursday and Friday from Grand Casino Arena. It will be the first back-to-back of the season for both teams, a challenge in its own right. But as they hit the road, the key moving forward for Montréal is simple: play the next game just like they played those overtime periods.
To make that happen, here are a few players to watch:
Ann-Renée Desbiens
After an uncharacteristically messy Game 1, Ann-Renée Desbiens was lights out in Game 2. The 35-year-old earned her first PWHL playoff shutout, with 38 saves against a strong Minnesota offence. A series win will require more of Game 2 Desbiens, and less of what she did in Game 1.
Now, Desbiens will have to play her first back-to-back of the season. It’s atypical for a goalie these days, but a veteran like Desbiens is surely up to the task.
Nicole Gosling
The rookie defender has been one of the stories of the season for Montréal, and Tuesday was no exception. Gosling played a staggering 43:27 TOI in Game 2, leading the team by over five minutes. The 24-year-old looked slightly off her game at the start of the playoffs, but was excellent for Montréal on Tuesday. She’s already a difference maker in this series, coming up with crucial defensive plays in key moments. Continued strong play will be needed heading to Minnesota.
“(Gosling)’s a young D, typically we’d want to shelter her at times,” Cheverie said. “There was no sheltering her tonight. She just kept going and going, and again, she was someone who just kept getting better and better. You know, if a puck kind of fumbled in her feet, which didn’t happen very often, I love that she just kind of surrounded it. Didn’t let anybody pick that puck up cleanly and created a battle out of it. She’s been amazing for our team.”
Marie-Philip Poulin
Captain Clutch did it again on Tuesday night, delivering the overtime winner for Montréal when they needed it most. However, there are continued concerns about her health. Poulin took an awkward fall on Tuesday, and came off the ice slowly. After that, she saw slightly less ice time, with speculation that she potentially aggrevated something related to her previous knee injury.
Poulin ended up playing just under 34 minutes on Tuesday. Heading into this week’s back-to-back, Cheverie will have some difficult decisions to make about managing Poulin’s minutes as the fate of the series hangs in the balance.