Boston stages a comeback to win their first game away at Montreal!
Written by Abbi Holt; Edited by Laura Everett
For Montréal fans, it’s got to sting that PWHL Boston got their first win 3-2 in overtime at PWHL Montréal’s first ever home game.
The sold-out Verdun Auditorium crackled with intensity as the first period came to a close. Fouls by Dominika Lásková gave Boston two powerplays that they failed to capitalize on, but got the crowd into the game as fans emphatically booed both calls. With six minutes left in the first period a familiar figure to now both teams pinged a shot off the post: Jillian Dempsey, beloved Boston native and former Boston Pride player made sure we had not forgotten her (never). Though the period ended scoreless, the crowd, the fouls and the theft of one of Boston’s favorite players certainly set the stage for what may become a beautiful rivalry.
While Boston must have felt some relief to make it to the break 0-0, given that they were out shot 11 to 6, that relief was short-lived. Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel made two great saves in a chaotic start to the second period, but couldn’t catch a shot from distance by Erin Ambrose just 33 seconds into the second period. Montréal’s Laura Stacey ensured that Boston had no time to recover as she shot through traffic and scored a second only 30 seconds after the first goal making the game 2-0 Montréal.
But after Boston’s first game on Wednesday January 3, which ended in a loss, Captain Hilary Knight said that she wanted to “be a part of the Boston legacy” including the “never die, never quit, always fight to the end” attitude. During the last game PWHL Boston couldn’t quite battle back, but in Montréal, Boston showed that legacy that Knight believed in.
Just over three minutes into the second period, Boston’s Defender Emily Brown, was called for roughing and Boston had to face a Montréal powerplay. Montréal got a good look at goal, but then Frankel deflected the shot up to Gigi Marvin almost at the blue line who got it to Taylor Girard just as she crossed the midline. Girard raced down the ice and shot the puck cleanly through the legs of goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens to make it a one-goal game!
Boston’s shorthanded goal on Montréal’s powerplay involved the PWHL’s so-called “jailbreak rule.” If the team that is playing down a player because of a minor penalty scores, they release their player from the penalty and end the powerplay, as Boston did by Girard scoring and then releasing Brown. According to the PWHL’s post game recap, this shorthanded goal is only the first in PWHL Boston’s short-lived team history.
While the great majority of PWHL rules are modeled on the men’s NHL (National Hockey Federation) and IIHL (International Ice Hockey Federation), this shorthanded goal rule is an interesting adaptation. After the December 2023 pre-season evaluation camps in Utica, NY, the PWHL added this short-handed provision 16.2 to what is now “Rule 16 – Minor Penalties: inclusion of penalty expiration criteria.”
At the time on January 1, 2024, Jayna Hefford, Senior Vice President of PWHL Hockey Operations explained, “After the pre-season evaluation camp, we surveyed general managers, coaches, players, and officials and received broad consensus that this new rule added excitement to the game and to special teams situations. I think fans are really going to enjoy the PWHL for its speed and skill in addition to its physicality and competitiveness.”
Enjoy it, Boston fans did.
Only minutes later Boston scored again on a beautiful passing sequence. Hannah Brandt gave the puck the final tap even as she fell to the ice and evened the score 2-2.
As the third period started, Montréal’s Kristin O’Neill made a break and made a shot so convincing the light to indicate a goal came on, but the puck ended up rattling around behind the goal. Montréal kept the Boston offense shotless for a large part of the 3rd and forced a dramatic save from Frankel that sent the puck high into the air off her right glove. However, Boston’s offense finally started to look a little more lively as the third period wound down and Boston’s defense killed a final penalty to send the game to overtime.
As overtime began, Montréal won the faceoff, and pulled the puck back to start the attack from behind their own net. Montréal captain Marie-Philip Poulin brought it up the right side and passed it to Stacey who shot. Frankel went down for the save and got tangled up with Stacey allowing Poulin to chip it over her and into the net just 20 seconds into overtime. Montréal went wild as Frankel emphatically shook her head looking at the ref, but then everyone quieted back down as it became clear that the goal was under review.
The home crowd started chanting “Goal! Goal! Goal!”
Poulin winked at the camera.
But the Montréal theatrics did not prevail on the ref’s review. The goal was overturned for goaltender interference.
Play restarted to resounding booing and small children with thumbs downturned.
Poulin won the faceoff again, but as Montréal brought it up the ice, Boston’s Megan Keller blocked a pass, Knight intercepted it and tapped it back to Keller with a nice backhand pass and Montréal just couldn’t clear it. Boston circled and circled, holding Montréal in their zone, and then the puck fell just right for Amanda Pelkey. Pelkey pounced to end the overtime period and give Boston their first comeback win.
With a switch of lines from Boston from their first game and a bit of a regrouping with Boston’s second game against Ottawa rescheduled due to snow, PWHL Boston played strong against a very strong Montréal team. Just two games in to the first regular season, we are only beginning to see the depth of this PWHL Boston team and their journey to be remembered as part of Boston’s sports legacy.
Boston plays in Toronto for their next game at 7pm Wednesday January 17th. Games can be watched on NESN and the PWHL Youtube channel.
The next home game is 12:30pm on Sat the 20th at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. Tickets Here.
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