PWHL Power Rankings: Montreal holds firm, but Toronto continues to climb

Only a trio of games in the PWHL last week, and little to no disagreement between Daily Faceoff’s PWHL writers Tyler Kuehl and Hunter Crowther.

But in the latest edition of DFO’s Power Rankings, we flip the two Ontario teams and examine why Montreal continues to sit atop of our list.

1. Montreal

Record: 6-1-2, +3
Last Week: 1st
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Tyler’s Rank: 1st

Tyler: Sure, their offense was not superb against Boston on Sunday, but this team showed a kind of grit they haven’t needed to display this season. Other teams might falter when they are outplaying an opponent, but not this Montreal group.

Lost in the great play of Erin Ambrose and Marie-Philip Poulin: how about Laura Stacey? She is on a heater right now and is one the of the league’s efficient scorers thus far.

Also, can we give Elaine Chuli some love? She’s out here putting up some Curtis McElhinney circa 2018 vibes.

Hunter: Both of Montreal and Boston’s games against one another have gone to overtime, except this time, Montreal got the victory. Each time they play one another, it’s a great game, and this was no exception.

Chuli’s 26 saves on 27 shots helped Montreal secure the win. The combination of her league-leading .962 SV% and Ann-Renee Desbiens’ .930 SV% make them arguably the best goaltending duo in the league. For a team with so much talent up front and on their blue line, it’s the crease that stands out.

2. Minnesota

Record: 5-2-2, +2
Last Week: 2nd
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd

Tyler: I know that loss to Toronto looked bad, but I am not ready to give up on Minnesota yet. After a hot start, it was only a matter of time before they were going to regress. But even if they have lost three of their last four games, they still have the firepower to bounce back.

I believe the IIHF break will give some of their depth pieces time to recover, while players like Nicole Hensley, Kendall Coyne and Taylor Heise can regain their confidence in the final games of the Rivalry Series.

Hunter: If Minnesota had played one or two more games with the same result they had against Toronto last Saturday, they might be lower on this list. But everyone eventually loses, and every so often, they lose by three. And don’t get it twisted: this team is damn good.

Hensley has a 4-2-0 record with a .934 SV%, but gave up four in her last performance. Some rest may do her good, but expect her to get at least one start for the U.S. during one of the Rivalry Series games this week.

3. Boston

Record: 4-2-1, -1
Last Week: 3rd
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler’s Rank: 3rd

Tyler: Getting fed your own medicine hurts, but how Boston battled against Montreal on Sunday shows this team can be something if they get rolling. Aerin Frankel is an all-world goaltender, and made some big saves in the overtime.

My concern is: will Hilary Knight come alive? Just the goal and assist against Minnesota last month is all she has to show for. I know she is more than just a scoring threat, but Boston needs her production if they want to be a viable threat.

Hunter: Boston is such a peculiar team, I feel like they’re the one squad I can’t get a grip on. I know they’ve got lots of talent, and forwards Jamie Lee Rattray and Alina Muller have looked like they’ve won more shifts than they’ve lost this season, pushing pucks in the offensive zone and generating chances.

Also, let’s give a quick shoutout to forward Sophie Shirley, who in the same week scored the first goal of her professional career as well as got a call from Hockey Canada that she would be a late addition to their roster for the Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series. This set of games takes place in her home province of Saskatchewan.

4. Toronto

Record: 4-5-0, -6
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Tyler’s Rank: 4th

Tyler: Toronto made me realize something … when Natalie Spooner is alive, so is the team. The Scarborough native is picking up steam at the right time, and with four goals in the last two games, she is showing why she has been a Canadian National Team mainstay for years.

Campbell has looked better in net, and she had to come up big against Minnesota’s best last Saturday. I do believe they need to give her some help. Erica Howe seemed like a liability in her two appearances, and Troy Ryan does not seem inclined to give Carly Jackson a shot anytime soon.

Hunter: Spooner has looked every bit of the superstar she was when she skated for the Toronto Furies years ago. Something about playing for your hometown. Her league-leading seven goals have come at critical times and almost singlehandedly jettisoned Toronto up the standings.

One player whose game looks fantastic right now is defender Jocelyne Larocque. The future Hall of Famer is logging in plenty of ice time on Toronto’s blue line and has looked strong in both ends of the ice. Whether it’s clearing out the zone or a strong first pass, Larocque is a coach’s dream.

5. New York

Record: 4-4-1, +1
Last Week: 2nd
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd

Tyler: “But guys, they had an amazing comeback, they won!” Well, random person who is not the voice inside my head, why did they have such an incredible rally? It’s because they fell behind. They came out flat against Ottawa, and did what they have done in most of their wins this season. Play good enough at the right time to win games.

I cannot be too hard on them, because Corrine Schroeder might be the most under-appreciated goaltender in the league. If they can give her better support on a consistent basis, they will climb back up the standings for sure.

Hunter: I think one thing people overlook with New York is that, for the first 55 minutes of their game against Ottawa, they just didn’t have it. A flurry of goals courtesy of their top-heavy lineup stole two points with an overtime win.

But speaking of top-heavy offense, my goodness, the combination of Alex Carpenter up front and Ella Shelton on the blue line are just oil drums of production. Carpenter leads the league with 11 points and Shelton is tied with Montreal’s Marie Philip-Poulin and Boston’s Muller for second with nine points.

6. Ottawa

Record: 2-1-4, +1
Last Week: 4th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Tyler’s Rank: 6th

Tyler: Yes, we had them ranked pretty high last week, but the brownie points for how hard Ottawa played in their last few games went away when they squandered an easy opportunity to grab three points. What is it with this team and not being able to perform on home ice? They have packed TD Place almost every game, yet they have just once in five home games.

Yes, they have picked up points in all but one games this season, but their two wins are the reason they are at the bottom of the league standings, and our rankings.

Hunter: There’s just something off with this team. Now losers of three straight, they’ve outshot their opponents 39-31 (3-2 loss to Boston on Jan. 24), 44-24 (2-1 OT loss to Montreal) and now 42-31 in a 4-3 OT loss to New York.

There’s a lot to like about Carla MacLeod’s lineup, but at some point, this team is going to have to put some numbers in the win column. They may only be a third of the way through the season, but the seeds have already been planted for what to expect come April and May.

_____

New Year, New Gear! Check out Nation Gear’s latest collections – hoodies, t-shirts, hats and more for your favorite fans! Plus, keep up to date on upcoming events and travel by subscribing to our newsletter. Shop now at nationgear.ca