BRIDGEPORT, CT (March 6, 2024) – Marie-Philip Poulin had a goal and an assist on Wednesday as Montréal staved off New York’s comeback bid to win 4-3 at Total Mortgage Arena.
Montréal led 3-0 in the first, and—despite New York getting to within one goal twice in the game—the visiting team was able to secure the regulation victory.
With the win, Montréal sits alone atop the PWHL standings with 30 points. They entered the game tied with Minnesota.
Poulin, who entered the game coming off two straight three-point efforts, first got on the scoresheet by assisting on Gabrielle David’s first period tally, which made the game 3-0 at 15:37 of the frame.
Montréal’s captain rushed up the ice from inside her own zone before making a perfect backhand saucer pass over a New York defender’s stick and onto David’s stick in the offensive zone slot. David took a quick one-timer, which went in past goaltender Corinne Schroeder after the puck hit a New York player’s shin pad and changed direction.
After New York scored two powerplay goals to make the game 3-2 heading into the third, it was Poulin who restored Montréal’s two-goal lead early in the third with her eighth tally of the season.
Laura Stacey collected the puck inside New York’s blue line before heading towards the net with speed. She then beat the New York defender around the outside before feeding the puck to Poulin in the slot, who quickly snapped it home. The goal stood as the eventual game-winner.
Poulin’s two-point game gives her 17 on the season, tying her for first with New York’s Alex Carpenter, who collected an assist on Wednesday.
Montréal started the game strong when Jillian Dempsey recorded her first PWHL goal at 5:30 of the first period to give her team a 1-0 lead. Dempsey took the puck wide around the New York defender and cut towards the net before putting a quick shot on goal, which squeaked past Schroeder. Sarah Lefort and Mariah Keopple recorded the assists on the tally.
Montréal added to their lead at 11:03 with a goal off the rush, scored by Sarah Bujold.
Ann-Sophie Bettez started the play, feeding the puck to Catherine Dubois, who entered the offensive zone with speed. She then found Bujold behind the New York defender – Bujold then roofed a backhand shot to make the game 2-0.
After David’s goal made the game 3-0, Jessie Eldridge cut the deficit to two with her fifth goal of the season, a powerplay marker at 16:49 of the first.
Eldridge attempted to make a pass across the crease to Alex Carpenter, but the puck hit a Montréal skate and crossed the goal line. Abby Roque and Carpenter collected the assists on the play.
Roque’s third goal of the season, and second point of the game, brought her team to within one at 14:28 of the second. After Jaime Bourbonnais and Ella Shelton passed the puck back-and-forth at the blueline, Shelton let a shot go which Roque deflected past goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens.
After Poulin’s third period goal made the game 4-2, a New York advantage once again provided a spark for the home team, as Eldridge got her second powerplay goal of the game at 8:06 of the frame.
Shelton and Bourbonnais once again provided the assists, as the two controlled the puck with New York’s red-hot powerplay set up in Montréal’s zone. In a near carbon copy of Roque’s earlier goal, Shelton fired the puck, which was deflected by Eldridge to make the game 4-3.
New York pulled Schroeder with 1:45 remaining in the third period but couldn’t even up the score.
Desbiens made 25 saves to secure her fifth win of the season. Schroeder stopped 27 in the loss.
Up next, Montréal visits Toronto on Friday for a tilt at Mattamy Athletic Centre—the first time the two teams have played since the record-breaking Battle on Bay Street. On Sunday, New York heads to the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell to take on Boston.
Postgame Quotes:
Montréal captain Marie-Philip Poulin: “We know it’s an important week for the standings. We know what we need to do. We need to find a way to be there for 60 minutes as a team. We are happy with where we are, but we are not satisfied.”
Montréal head coach Kori Cheverie: “We didn’t execute like we wanted to execute tonight, but at the end of the day we have our three points. There were some things we liked, others not as much, but we need to focus on the positive as we play three games in five days.”
Notes:
- Attendance: 728- Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport, CT.
- Three Stars: 1) Marie-Philip Poulin 2) Jessie Eldridge 3) Sarah Bujold
- Shots ended 31-28 in favor of Montréal— They outshot New York 12-9 in the third period but were even in the first (11-11) and second (8-8).
- Montréal’s Laura Stacey led all players with six shots — Poulin and Eldridge were tied for second-most, with four each.
- Montréal was 0/6 on the powerplay — New York was 3/5.
- New York’s powerplay improves to 23.4% on the season, second in the PWHL — Their three goals bring their season total to 11, tying them with Ottawa for most in the league.
- New York’s three powerplay goals is the most scored in a single game this season.
- The game’s eleven minor penalties were the most in a game in the PWHL this season.
- Montréal has now scored first in 10 of 15 games — New York has now allowed the first goal in nine of 15 games.
- Montréal scored three goals in the first period for the first time this season.
- Poulin now has eight points in her last three games (2G, 6A) — She sits tied for first in the PWHL in points (17) and assists (9), and second in goals (8).
- Alex Carpenter’s first period assist gives her nine on the season and moves her into a four-way tie for first in the PWHL with Poulin, Alina Müller (BOS), and Kelly Pannek (MIN).
- Carpenter leads the league in powerplay points (8) — She’s recorded a point on eight of eleven New York powerplay goals – Carpenter’s five powerplay assists are tied for the league-lead with teammates Abby Roque and Ella Shelton.
- Eldridge is the first player to score two powerplay goals in a single game this season.
- Eldridge snaps an eight-game goalless draught — Four of her six goals this season have come against Montréal.
- With two assists, Shelton moves into sole possession of first place in points among PWHL defenders with 12 — She also sits fifth overall in league scoring.
- Montréal ties a season-high with three straight wins – Their least three-game win streak consisted of two overtime victories.
- New York extends its season-high losing streak to four games.
- Montréal (7-3-3-2) collects three points and sits alone at the top of the PWHL standings with 30 points — They sit three points ahead of Minnesota and Toronto.
- New York (2-4-2-7) remains in sixth place with 16 points — They sit one point behind Ottawa and two behind Boston.
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