Montreal vs. Boston: 2024 Walter Cup playoff series preview and pick
Montreal: 2nd in PWHL, 41 points
Boston: 3rd in PWHL, 35 points
Schedule (ET)
| Date | Game | Time |
| Thursday, May 9 | 1. Boston at Montreal | 7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 11 | 2. Boston at Montreal | 7 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, May 14 | 3. Montreal at Boston | 7 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, May 16 | 4. Montreal at Boston* | 7 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, May 19 | 5. Boston at Montreal* | 7 p.m. ET |
The Skinny
Montreal was my preseason choice as the best team in the league, and for stretches during the season, I was right. With captain Marie-Philip Poulin leading a stacked roster, the team was near the top of the standings for most of the season. However, when Poulin went down with an injury in March, Montreal lost its mojo. The team dropped four straight games, falling to third in the league heading into the Women’s Worlds break.
Thankfully, Poulin got back to full health in Utica, and after leading Canada to a gold medal, she inspired Montreal to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round.
Boston struggled to stay in the top four during the regular season. The team failed to win more than two games in a row all season and, at one point, was sitting at the bottom of the standings. Coming out of the Women’s Worlds break, the team was five points out behind Ottawa for the last playoff spot. Yet, thanks to great play in goal from Aerin Frankel and strong play from Megan Keller and Hilary Knight, Boston won four of its last five games, some of which came dramatically.
To clinch a playoff spot, Hannah Brandt scored a goal with just three seconds left to beat Minnesota on April 27, while Kaleigh Fratkin scored the game-winner with less than two minutes to play to beat Montreal this past Saturday.
Head to Head
If you were ever curious about the parity in the PWHL, look no further than the tight battles between these two rivals. Of the four matchups, only one was decided by more than one goal. Boston won the first meeting on Jan. 13, 3-2, in overtime, before Montreal picked up an OT victory of their own on Feb. 4. Montreal beat Boston, 3-1, on March 2, before Boston pulled out the gutsy 4-3 win on May 4.
Despite the Montreal/Boston feud being associated with the Bruins and Canadiens, the PWHL version of this rivalry has had some nastiness to it. It was physical with chippiness that you would expect in a playoff series.
Boston is hot coming into the postseason, and Montreal had home ice clinched well in advance, so Boston arguably has the momentum coming into the series. However, with the boisterous crowd in Laval on their side, Montreal will try to use the crowd to their advantage.
Top Five Scorers
Montreal
Marie-Philip Poulin, 23 points
Laura Stacey, 18 points
Erin Ambrose, 18 points
Maureen Murphy, 16 points
Claire Dalton, 9 points
Boston
Alina Müller, 16 points
Megan Keller, 15 points
Susanna Tapani, 13 points
Lexie Adzija, 11 points
Hilary Knight, 11 points
X-Factor
Depth scoring is so crucial in the playoffs, especially in these short, best-of-five series. That is why Kristin O’Neill is going to be a key to Montreal’s success in these playoffs. O’Neill was arguably one of Canada’s best players at the Women’s World Championship, and that momentum carried into the final few games of the regular season. The 26-year-old scored three goals in three games last month, and can prove to be a reliable asset at both ends of the rink.
In a similar sense, Lexie Adzija can bring both energy and physicality to this series. It was one of the reasons why Boston, I believe, won the trade that saw them send Shiann Darkangelo to Ottawa for Adzija at the deadline in March. Adzija became a fan favorite in Ottawa for her feistiness and her ability to put the puck in the net. The 23-year-old scored 11 points in 24 games, potting a goal and an assist in seven games with Boston.
Offense
It is easy to say Montreal has a dominant offense. Poulin led the roster with 23 points in 21 games, tied for second in the PWHL with New York’s Alex Carpenter. She powered an offense that finished third in the league in goals scored (60). The top line of Poulin, O’Neill and Laura Stacey has really meshed well over the last few games, with Stacey sitting tied for second on the team with 18 points.
With Melodie Daoust being a potential option, Montreal will have at least three lines capable of finding the back of the net. They also have weapons on the blueline, as veteran Erin Ambrose can etch her name on the scoresheet.
Boston certainly did not produce the same number of goals, scoring a league-worst 50 goals. Despite capping off the regular season with four goals against Montreal, Boston did not score more than two goals in its last eight games. Alina Müller, who led the team with 16 points, ranked tied for 13th in the PWHL in scoring.
While they already struggled to score at 5-on-5, Boston had the worst power play in the PWHL. Granted, they had the fewest chances on the player advantage (53); they scored just four goals on the PP, with Müller scoring two of them.
Defense
Montreal has a plethora of stable blueliners, lead to the team posting a +3 goal differential, good for second in the PWHL. Going back to Ambrose, there is a reason why she is a shoo-in for Team Canada every year. She is excellent at shutting down the other team’s top stars. She has been paired up with Kati Tabin, and the duo has proven to be effective. Not to mention they have Amanda Boulier, who has been a viable asset since being acquired from Ottawa.
They also have several forwards capable of helping in the defensive zone. Along with Poulin, who is an excellent two-way center, Gabrielle David is a strong presence in the d-zone and in the faceoff circle, winning 55.7% of draws.
Though Boston struggled to find offense, the team’s defense was exceptional in the season’s latter stages. In the final seven games of the season, the team gave up an average of two goals per game, including stymied efforts in 2-1 wins over the last month against Toronto, New York, and Minnesota.
They spread out their talented defenders, as Megan Keller has been paired up with Emily Brown, while Fratkin has played a lot with Jessica Digirolamo. Keller is undoubtedly one of the best two-way blueliners in the game today and has been a big part of shutting down some of the best players, not just in the PWHL, but in all competitions.
Goaltending
Montreal has an outstanding tandem in net, especially since they have all-world goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. Desbiens was solid, going 7-5-2 during the regular season, with a .923 save percentage that was fifth in the PWHL. The Quebec native has more than garnered the reputation of being a money goaltender.
Yet, if coach Kori Chevrie had to look elsewhere, Montreal has a capable backup in Elaine Chuli. The 2022 Premier Hockey Federation goaltender of the year was exceptional in eight starts this season, posting the league’s best save percentage (.949) and goals-against average (1.61) among qualified netminders.
Desbiens’ nemesis in recent years has been Aerin Frankel, and deservedly so. The American netminder has been the unanimous no. 1 goaltender in New England. Though her overall numbers might not be overly impressive, going 8-6-2 with a 2.00 GAA, a .929 SV%, and a shutout, Frankel has the capability of stealing a game, as we have seen on the international stage.
Like Montreal, Boston has a notable backup goaltender, Emma Söderberg. The Swedish netminder put forth a key 31-save performance in the win over Minnesota but has not had the same success as Chuli has, with Söderberg winning just four of her seven starts.
Injuries
Montreal lost a couple of players to season-ending injuries this season. 2022 PHF Most Valuable Player, Kennedy Marchment, Dominika Lásková, and Ann-Sophie Bettez were all placed on LTIR. Also, forward Sarah Bujold, who was seeing an elevated role in the absence of the aforementioned players, missed the team’s final three games of the season due to an injury. It is unknown if she will be available for Game 1.
Boston is missing a couple of important players as the postseason nears. Loren Gabel was injured during the team’s shootout win in Detroit in March and placed on long-term injured reserve last month. During the team’s media availability on Monday, head coach Courtney Kessel said Gabel is listed as day-to-day, but has been skating over the last couple of days.
Taylor Girard was recently placed on LTIR after suffering a lower-body injury against Minnesota on April 27. Kessel said she is hopeful Girard can rejoin the lineup sometime in the playoffs. However, Girard would not be eligible until Game 5 on May 19, given the series goes that far.
Intangibles
With this being the first playoffs in the PWHL, you cannot compare playoff experience between these players, especially with those like Poulin, Knight, Brandt, and Desbiens, who have not played in a true playoff series in a half-decade. Yet, both teams have a laundry list of decorated players.
Boston has eight Olympic gold medals and 28 IIHF World Championship gold medals among its players, while Montreal has eight Olympic golds and 16 titles at the world’s.
Series Prediction
If the regular season showed anything between these two teams, it is going to be a tight series. Montreal has a clear skill advantage with a healthy Poulin who can take over a game by herself. However, Boston comes in with a recent win over Montreal and a ton of momentum.
That said, Montreal has more depth up front and has a strong enough blueline that can dictate an extended series.
Montreal wins, 3-1