Welcome back to The Ice Garden’s weekly PWHL power rankings! Check back every Friday for a new installment and remember: if you think your team is ranked too low, it’s definitely, totally, 100% because we hate them.
Big news, rankings fans: for the first time this season, there is a new solo #1 in town. It was a quiet week around the PWHL, with only the Boston Fleet playing twice and most teams wrapping up their week by Sunday. However, there was plenty of action, with playoff dreams growing and dying thanks to several key matchups. The week’s results were also emphatic enough that for the first time since Week 6, there is no tie in the rankings. It’s a busy week ahead, with nine games on the docket and every team playing at least twice. By the end of the week, all but the Torrent will have reached the 20-game mark, and the final push for the playoffs will truly be on. Let’s get to it!
Be our guest, be our guest, put out PWHL power rankings to the test! No need to wish upon a star any longer, because the inaugural Disney song power rankings are here. So, without further ado, let’s dive under the sea of this week’s PWHL happenings.
#1. Montréal Victoire (9-4-0-5, 35 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for first (-)
This Week’s Results:
- No games this week
Upcoming Schedule:
- Sunday, March 15 vs BOS- 1 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (SN360, RDS, NESN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Thursday, March 19 vs SEA- 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (Sportsnet, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Someday My Prince Will Come” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Someday, the Victoire will be able to play hockey again. Someday, they’ll feel the thrill of competition once more.
Unlike the rest of the PWHL, the Victoire have had the luxury this week of plenty of practice time and rest. Having 11 full days in between games is not always something a red-hot team is happy about, but considering the Victoire didn’t miss a beat over the month-long Olympic break, it’s hard to imagine this one will be anything but positive as well. They’ll have plenty to play for when they return, with a first-place battle with Boston on the docket first, followed by an excellent chance to bank points against the basement-dwelling and banged-up Torrent.
#2. Boston Fleet (9-4-2-3, 37 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for first (-1)
This Week’s Results:
- Tuesday, March 10 @ VAN- 2-1 OTW
- Wednesday, March 11 @ SEA- 3-2 L
Upcoming Schedule:
- Sunday, March 15 @ MTL- 1 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (NESN, SN360, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Tuesday, March 17 vs TOR- 7 p.m. ET, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA (NESN, Amazon Prime, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Kiss the Girl” (The Little Mermaid)
The mood was set for the Fleet to walk out of their back-to-back set with five of six points. But it all came crashing down at the end in Seattle, leaving them with just two.
Well, it finally happened: the Fleet have conceded their number one slot in the rankings. It was a tough call to do it this week considering the Victoire did not play, but it was time. Boston’s inability to extend their leads, especially on the road, is costing them points too frequently. They let four points slip away this week alone that they really should’ve had against the bottom two teams in the standings. Sure, a back-to-back set with travel is a tall order, and no team has fared well on them this season, so some grace can be extended. However, they held leads and squandered them despite ample opportunities to extend them in both games, and that simply can’t keep happening. Boston remains atop the standings for now, two points ahead of Montréal –– who they close their road trip out against on Sunday –– but they simply have to figure out these road scoring issues if they want to keep that spot.
#3. Minnesota Frost (7-3-3-4, 30 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Sun, Mar 8 @ TOR- 3-2 OTW
Upcoming Schedule:
- Friday, March 13 vs SEA- 7 p.m. CT, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN (KONG, NESN, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Sunday, March 15 vs NYS- 3 p.m. CT, Ball Arena, Denver, CO (FanDuel Sports Network North, MSGSN2, NESN, Sportsnet, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Wednesday, March 18 vs OTT- 6 p.m. CT, Grand Cashino Arena, St. Paul, MN (FanDuel Sports Network North, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Circle of Life” – The Lion King
Look! It’s Taylor Heise flashing her game-breaking abilities. Oh my god. It’s Taylor Heise flashing her game-break abilities. Other teams are preparing to challenge for their crowd come May, but right now, the Frost certainly look like they’ll have a chance to keep their Circle of Championships alive.
The Frost responded to getting shutout by the Victoire with a big game against the Sceptres, although they nearly got goalie’d by a dialed-in Raygan Kirk. They only won 3-2 in overtime, but they held a 35-24 shot advantage, and many of those shots were high-danger. It easily could’ve been a multi-goal regulation defeat had Kirk not been near singlehandedly willing the Sceptres to a point. Minnesota now gets to return home to face the basement-dwelling Torrent before heading to Denver for the first post-Olympics Takeover Tour game against a hungry Sirens team. They’re in a good standings position at the moment, but they’ll be wise to emerge with at least 50% of the possible points this week if they want to avoid the skid-then-squeak-into-the-playoffs debacle they’ve faced the last two years.
#4. New York Sirens (8-0-3-8, 27 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (+1)
This Week’s Results:
- Sunday, March 8 vs OTT- 6-2 W
Upcoming Schedule:
- Sunday, March 15 @ MIN- 4 p.m. ET, Ball Arena, Denver, CO (MSGSN2, FanDuel Sports Network North, NESN, Sportsnet, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Wednesday, March 18 @ VAN- 10 p.m. ET, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (MSGSN2, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Go the Distance” (Hercules)
The Sirens have often dreamed of a far off place called the playoffs. And it looks like this year, if they can be strong in their final 11 days, they’ll finally go the distance and make every mile well worth their while.
Well, that’s one way to snap a losing streak. In front of a crowd of 8,624, which smashed their previous home record of 5,132, the Sirens annihilated the Charge to snap their season-high five-game losing streak. It was a massive game for both teams, with the Charge sitting in fourth place, two points ahead of the Sirens heading into it. So, for the Sirens to take them so decisively is no small feat, and it should give them some hope that, unlike the past two years, they can actually stay in this playoff race. To make matters even better, Sarah Fillier had a huge game, burying two goals after having just one through the season’s first 17 games, plus an assist. If she can start finding the back of the net like everyone knows she’s capable of, it’s hard to imagine the Sirens letting that fourth playoff spot slip through their fingers.
#5. Ottawa Charge (5-5-1-8, 26 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 4 (-1)
This Week’s Results:
- Sunday, March 8 @ NYS- 6-2 L
Upcoming Schedule:
- Saturday, March 14 @ VAN- 3 p.m. ET, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (CBC, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Wednesday, March 18 @ MIN- 7 p.m. ET, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN (TSN, FanDuel Sports Network North)
Song: “Almost There (Reprise)” (The Princess and the Frog)
The Charge had been feeling pretty good about their dream of making the playoffs again. But Sunday’s meeting with the Sirens sure felt like one of those dream-come-crashing-down moments. Will they be able to rally like Tiana in the end? We’ll just have to wait and see.
As good as Sunday’s game was for the Sirens, it was equally bad for the Charge. Managing just 18 shots on goal in a huge game for their playoff aspirations is inexcusable. It wasn’t Gwyneth Phillips’ best game of the season either, but most of that blame lies with the Ottawa skaters, who allowed her to get peppered with an unholy amount of high-danger chances. All in all, it was an extremely damaging no-show from the Charge, from top to bottom. The good news is, there are still 11 games left in the season, and the Sirens have been very streaky, so their playoff dreams are far from dead. However, had they managed to walk out of New York with a regulation win, they’d be sitting five points ahead of the Sirens instead of one point back. That’s a massive swing, and one that’s going to be difficult to recover from.
#6. Toronto Sceptres (6-1-5-8, 25 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Sunday, March 8 vs MIN- 3-2 OTL
Upcoming Schedule:
- Sunday, March 15 vs SEA- 1 p.m. ET, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, ON (TSN, FOX 13+, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Tuesday, March 17 @ BOS- 7 p.m. ET, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA (Amazon Prime, NESN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Part of Your World” (The Little Mermaid)
The Sceptres have talent and potential aplenty. But it hasn’t translated into much success this season. They want to be up at the top of the standings where the playoff teams are, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be their turn anytime soon. Here’s hoping they’re at least smart enough to not make any desparate deals with sea witches to try to make it happen.
The Sceptres are on a four-game point streak, which is nice and all, but they’ve lost their past two. Considering how valuable every point is to them right now, those loser points don’t feel like much of a win. They’ve been outplayed in both losses, and had it not been for Kirk, they probably wouldn’t have any points from them. Most of their wounds lately are self-inflicted (hello, avoidable Renata Fast OT penalty that led to the Minnesota game-winner), and it’s the main reason why it’s so hard to believe this lineup can turn it around enough to make the playoffs despite. They might be close points-wise, but they haven’t been able to get out of their own way long enough to make any success they find matter. Crazier things have happened, but it’s looking like an early offseason in the Six.
#7. Seattle Torrent (5-1-2-9, 19 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for eighth (+1)
This Week’s Results:
- Wednesday, March 11 vs BOS- 3-2 W
Upcoming Schedule:
- Friday, March 13 @ MIN- 5 p.m. PT, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN (KONG, NESN, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Sunday, March 15 @ TOR- 10 a.m. PT, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, ON (FOX 13+, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Thursday, March 19 @ MTL- 4 p.m. PT, Place Bell, Laval, QC (Sportsnet, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” (Cinderella)
The Torrent’s heart is keeping their playoff dreams alive even when things look bleak. It will probably still take some help from a magical Fairy Godmother to turn that dream into reality though.
When you not only mount a late comeback to win in regulation against the number one team in the league, but outplay them for most of the game despite missing two of your best forwards, you get to move up a spot in the rankings. Sure, Boston was tired and on the second half of a back-to-back, but it was nonetheless an impressive win by Seattle. They didn’t give up even when they fell behind twice, and they fully earned those three points. Getting into the playoff picture is still a tall order for Seattle, especially given they’re about to embark on a lengthy road trip, but they’re now eight points back of the Sirens with two games in hand. If they win those games in regulation, they can at least make things interesting.
#8. Vancouver Goldeneyes (5-1-3-9, 20 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for eighth (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Tuesday, March 10 vs BOS- 2-1 OTL
Upcoming Schedule:
- Saturday, March 14 vs OTT- 12 p.m. PT, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (CBC, PWHL Youtube Channel)
- Wednesday, March 18 vs NYS- 7 p.m. PT, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (TSN, MSGSN2, PWHL Youtube Channel)
Song: “Remember Me” (Coco)
Remember all those preseason projections that had the Goldeneyes finishing near the top of the league? How about that three-game home win streak? It might be sad to think of that potential now, but sometimes memories can be powerful things that bring you back from the brink of elimination. It’s improbable, but worth a shot.
This week went a little better for the Goldeneyes, but not better enough. They managed to steal a point away from the first-place Fleet, and overall they played a strong game. However, one point is not enough to meaningfully close the gap between Vancouver and the teams ahead of them in the playoff race. Nor is one point out of the six on this homestand so far good enough. The Gold Plan looms.