Friday, December 27, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. ET | Coca-Cola Coliseum
WATCH LIVE: TSN 3, TSN.ca, TSN App, NESN+, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International)
Daniella Ponticelli (Play-by-Play), Becky Kellar (Analyst), Rob Pizzo (Reporter)
BOSTON FLEET
2-0-0-2 | 6 PTS | 4TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Hilary Knight – 4 GP, 2-2-4 PTS
Last Game: 3-2 W vs. OTT on Dec. 17
TORONTO SCEPTRES
1-0-1-3 | 4 PTS | 5TH PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Renata Fast – 5 GP, 0-5-5 PTS
Last Game: 4-3 OTL vs. MTL on Dec. 21
2024-25 SEASON SERIES: TORONTO LEADS 3-0 IN POINTS (TOR WON 9-6 IN 2024)
Nov. 30 at TOR: 3-1 TOR | Dec. 27 at TOR | Jan. 22 at BOS | Feb. 14 at TOR | Mar. 26 at BOS | Apr. 26 at BOS
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Fleet and Sceptres opened the PWHL season at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Nov. 30, a 3-1 Toronto win. Boston won, 3-2, in its first visit to Toronto last season but has lost each of their last three games here, scoring a combined three goals.
The Fleet are coming off a 3-2 win over Ottawa at home on Dec. 17 and have scored seven goals in their last two games after scoring just once in each of their first two games. Boston is 6-3-0-1 all-time when scoring at least three goals, though the lone loss came against Toronto (5-3 on Feb. 14).
Hilary Knight has at least one point and three shots on goal in all four of Boston’s games this season. That is the most such games by any PWHL player this season. The captain scored the Fleet’s only goal against the Sceptres on Nov. 30 after being held without a point in all five meetings last season.
Knight has two points on the power play including a goal against Toronto. Boston is 2-for-6 on the advantage this season and lead the PWHL with a 33.3% power play efficiency. The Fleet also have the best penalty kill efficiency at 87.5%.
Rookie Shay Maloney scored her first career goal in the win against Ottawa and has a two-game point streak.
Goaltender Aerin Frankel has started all four of Boston’s games and leads the PWHL with a .934 save percentage. The Fleet have the lowest goals-against-average at 2.25.
Toronto lost to Montréal, 4-3, in overtime last Saturday, and has gone winless in four games since beating Boston to open the season. Toronto was 10-3-0-1 when scoring at least three goals last season but has already failed to win two such games this year (1-0-1-1).
Renata Fast has an assist in all five Sceptres games this season, the only PWHL player with an assist in each of her team’s games this year. Only Claire Thompson (MIN) has more assists with six. Fast is yet to score a goal so far this season, though two of her three goals last year came against Boston.
After allowing the opening goal in each of their first four games, the Sceptres scored first in their 4-3 overtime loss last Saturday. Toronto was 10-3-0-2 when scoring first last season, the most wins in such games by any team in the league.
Sarah Nurse leads the PWHL with 103 face-offs and is tied for fourth with 46 wins for an overall face-off percentage of 44.7%.
Jesse Compher has already doubled her 24-game inaugural season goal total by scoring in two straight home games.
Jess Kondas is expected to make her PWHL debut on the Sceptres blue line after being signed to a 10-day contract from the team’s Reserve Player list. Fellow defender, Rylind MacKinnon, is serving a one-game suspension for an illegal check to the head.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“We were able to take time to recharge over the holiday break, but now it’s about getting back to our fast, focused game. Toronto is a skilled team, but we’re focused on executing our systems, maintaining possession, and playing with pace. We’re ready to get back to work and take care of business on the ice.” – Fleet Head Coach Courtney Kessel.
“As a group, we are really looking forward to coming back from this break and playing Boston. We didn’t necessarily get the result we wanted in our previous game against Montréal, but it was a step in the right direction and a better team game, so we are looking to build off that heading into this one.” – Sceptres forward Maggie Connors.
FRIDAY’S GAME: Toronto will be Celebrating Community Heroes as part of the PWHL’s Unity Game schedule. The Sceptres will welcome Nayla Brooks from Seaside Hockey and Jennifer Kirk from the Brampton Canadettes as local heroes contributing to their communities through the game of hockey. Torontonian and Grey’s Anatomy star Caterina Scorsone will be at the game to share her work as ambassador for Global Down Syndrome Foundation. The team will highlight their recent visit to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and work with the Shoebox Project earlier this month. Tonight is the 100th game in PWHL history following 72 inaugural season games, 13 playoff games, and 14 games so far in the 2024-25 campaign.