PWHL Power Rankings: Montreal Victoire rise to the top heading into the New Year
2025 is within sight, and the PWHL schedule is starting to pick up steam after getting through international and holiday breaks. It’s leading to some great action and some intriguing debate on where teams stand.
Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl give their takes on how teams are looking heading into the New Year:
1. Montreal Victoire
Record: 3-2-0-1, +3
Last Week: 3rd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Tyler’s Rank: 1st
Tyler: As I mentioned in my takeaways from this week, the Victoire are playing like a hungry team that wants to show they can meet expectations and exceed them. They went out and beat the Frost on the road, handing the defending champs their first regulation loss. Then, they came home to beat and batter the Fleet, the team that shockingly swept them in the semifinals last season. If the Victoire plays with that intensity for most of the rest of the season…, you’d better keep your head up.
One of the biggest reasons I like this team the most right now is that they aren’t playing flashy hockey. The Victoire are coming to the rink to get a job done, and they do it. They don’t care if they win by one goal or more, and they surely don’t give a snot if they hurt your feelings, as we all saw on Monday night in Laval.
Hunter: An impressive pair of wins in the last few days to extend the Victoire’s winning streak to four games. Montreal now sits atop of the PWHL standings – and, more importantly, they’re at the top of the Daily Faceoff Power Rankings.
Marie-Philip Poulin was held pointless but she set the tone during the Victoire’s 3-1 win over the Fleet Monday night. The Montreal captain laid three hits and didn’t back down from any battles in front of the net or along the boards, as the two teams played in one of the grittier contests we’ve seen in recent memory.
My colleague Tyler texted me this during the game: “Give me a best-of-five that lasts all five games.” I couldn’t agree more.
The Victoire are off until next Sunday, when they begin a three-game stretch to open the Takeover Tour, starting with a battle against the Boston Fleet in Seattle.
2. Minnesota Frost
Record: 3-1-1-1, +6
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd
Hunter: It took a month, but the Frost finally dropped a game in regulation, losing 3-2 to the Victoire over the weekend. Britta Curl scored her third of the season, and Claire Thompson recorded another assist to continue being tied for the league lead in points. But for at least one week, another team sits atop of the hill.
With two games later this week, I’m curious as to how Minnesota deploys their netminders. Maddie Rooney has had a tepid start with a .903 save percentage (SV%) through four games, but Nicole Hensley has an .875 SV% and 3.36 goals against average (GAA) in two appearances. They’ll likely split the games, and it will be interesting to see if one pulls ahead of the others.
Tyler: I’m not hanging my hat too much on the loss to the Victoire. That is a good team that came into St. Paul determined to come away with a win. The most important thing for the Frost to do is get back on the horse and come out of their four-game homestand with a winning record. With the fact that their loss to Montreal was their only game since the holiday break, it’s hard to say whether the team looks worse or better than they were during their four-game winning streak.
I will say, even with the loss on Sunday, Rooney is my No. 1 starter if I’m Ken Klee. It feels as if she gives the team more confidence than when Hensley starts at the moment.
The Frost begin a two-game homestand on Thursday night when they host the Boston Fleet, the league’s first game of 2025.
3. New York Sirens
Record: 2-1-1-2, +1
Last Week: 2nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler’s Rank: 3rd
Hunter: Not every good game results in a win, and I thought the Sirens’ effort in a 3-1 loss to the Charge deserved a better result. Outshooting Ottawa 35-22, a rare off night for Corinne Schroeder saw them give up three goals in the first 25 minutes of the game.
Sarah Fillier continues to be tied for the league in scoring (three goals and five assists for eight points) and the club itself is ahead of where many thought their development would be. Their next game is Jan. 4 against the Frost, which should be a telling litmus test for where the team could be as we enter 2025.
Tyler: Like many of the other teams on this list, it is hard to judge how a team played in a week when they only had one game. However, at home against the Ottawa Charge, the Sirens came out of the game flat, and it cost them. Sure, they started to take control in the latter half of the game, but falling behind 3-0 to a team that has been tickling last place since the onset of the season isn’t great.
It doesn’t help that Corinne Schroeder continues to look mortal after being the team’s MVP last season. While the group in front of her has improved, the former PHF Goaltender of the Year needs to step up when called upon if the Sirens want to be considered threats for first place.
New York is off until Saturday when they pay a visit to the Frost for the second time this season.
4. Ottawa Charge
Record: 2-0-1-3, +7
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Tyler’s Rank: 5th
Tyler: That truly was a solid win by Ottawa on Sunday. Going on the road against a team arguably more talented than they are, the Charge hung on against the Sirens to snap its three-game losing streak. For as shaky as she’s looked early on this year, Emerance Maschmeyer came out with one of her world-class performances to hold off the likes of Fillier, Carpenter and Eldridge at bay.
I wish I could spell out what I was going to write about general manager Mike Hirshfeld. I literally was about to write about how he needs to make a move to spark his team. Acquiring a world-class defender in Jocelyne Larocque and a veteran such as Victoria Bach can bring some stability to a team that needs a jump to become a top team in this league.
Hunter: Ten-day gaps between games might leave a team rusty, but the Charge came out strong against the Sirens over the weekend, scoring the game’s first three goals, then shutting down any New York attack thanks to another all-world performance from goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.
As for the trade, I think acquiring a future Hockey Hall of Famer in Larocque is going to immediately make their blue line better. Losing Harmon may hurt their ability to generate offense, but Larocque will bring an instant calmness to the lineup that will help shrink the opponent’s opportunities.
The Charge will close out 2024 with a marquee matchup with the Sceptres on Tuesday night.
5. Toronto Sceptres
Record: 2-0-1-3, -3
Last Week: 5th
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Tyler’s Rank: 4th
Tyler: If it were literally any other team they defeated last week, I might’ve put the Sceptres higher. However, simply being able to beat one team doesn’t constitute a successful stretch of play. Sure, they played well on home ice against the Fleet, as they should, and it’s been good to see rookie Raygan Kirk shine early on while Kristen Campbell has been under the weather, but I want to see the Sceptres come out on top in more games they “should” win.
However, getting rid of Larocque and a character player like Bach might do more harm than good. I agree Harmon and Scamurra bring a lot to the table…but we’ll have to wait and see who wins this trade.
Hunter: Hey, now, a win is a win! A 4-2 victory over the Fleet saw a strong third-period performance from a Sceptres squad in desperate need of some points in the standings. Also, anytime you can get more than two goals past Aerin Frankel, it’s a massive win.
As for the trade, while all the attention is on Harmon, I think Scamurra has the potential to be the difference-maker in the deal. The Sceptres forward group has talent but hasn’t really burst open the dam, sort of speak. Scamurra is pointless through six games, but with the right line, she could provide a much-needed secondary punch.
Toronto gets set for another edition of the Battle of Ontario, as they will face the Ottawa Charge on New Year’s Eve.
6. Boston Fleet
Record: 2-0-0-4, -4
Last Week: 4th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Tyler’s Rank: 6th
Tyler: Woof.
I don’t think I’ve seen a team crumble over the course of a period as the Fleet did in its loss to the Victoire on Monday. Even with that five-minute major power play after Megan Keller was laid out by Catherine Dubois, Boston did absolutely nothing with it, and mustered up a whole two shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. The Fleet looked intimidated in the midst of a physical battle, and that was with Lexie Adzija in the lineup. It’s a far cry from a unit that withstood the loud crowds in Toronto and Minnesota during last year’s playoffs.
Now, I’m back to questioning this team’s offensive ability. Sure, it’s just two games, but their losses to Toronto and Montreal made Boston look like the team that scored the fewest goals in the league last season. As a matter of fact, the Fleet’s 12 goals are the least among teams in the PWHL.
Hunter: Not the best pair of games this past week from the Fleet, losing a pair of Canadian road games to the Sceptres and Victoire. In both contests, Boston gave up a number of high-quality scoring chances, especially against Toronto. One positive is that the Fleet showed plenty of pushback against the Victoire on Monday, even if the results didn’t show on the scoreboard.
Six games in, Hillary Knight is already halfway to her goal total from last season, and she’s generating far more shots on net. The same goes for Megan Keller, whose ability to generate chances from the backend is a much-needed spark of offense. Also, don’t sleep on the fact they scored two power-play goals against Toronto.
The Fleet is still on the road this week, taking on Minnesota on Thursday before heading to Seattle to face the Victoire in Seattle on Sunday.