PWHL Players of the Week: Dubois, Gosling power Montreal; Frankel shuts the door
It was an exciting week of action in the PWHL, with many of the game’s top stars shining.
As we head toward the final month of the regular season, the battle for playoff positioning continues to creep toward a climax, with a number of players doing their part to keep their teams in the postseason conversation.
This week’s top trio played critical roles in keeping their team in the fight for first place.
Aerin Frankel, G (Boston Fleet)
Let’s shake things up a little bit and start off with the week’s top netminder, and for good reason.
It’s no secret that the main reason the Fleet are sitting atop the league standings is because of Aerin Frankel. She has been sensational from the onset of the season, playing at an MVP rate, and making her team a certified favorite to win the Walter Cup. Last weekend, the Green Monster etched her name in the record books, setting a new record for shutouts in a single season with five.
Frankel didn’t stop there. She continued her hot streak with an incredible 35-save bagel against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday, before turning away all 18 shots she faced on Friday against the Toronto Sceptres.
The year Frankel has been on might go down in history as one of the best by a goaltender, period. Along with her play in the PWHL, she, along with Team USA teammate and Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyenth Philips, set the record for the longest shutout streak in Olympic hockey history, with Frankel posting a record three goose eggs en route to helping the United States take home the gold.
In starting all but two games this year, the New York native is also first in the PWHL in wins (16), goals-against average (1.17) and save percentage (.954), while sitting second in games (518) behind Philips.
Catherine Dubois, F (Montreal Victoire)
The team trying to chase down the Fleet in the standings is the Victoire, and a couple of their players stepped up, despite missing their leader.
With captain Marie-Philip Poulin out of action, grinder Catherine Dubois was put on the top line with Abby Roque and Laura Stacey, and it surprisingly worked. The Quebec native scored just her second goal of the season on Wednesday, spurring a big 3-0 win over the Minnesota Frost. Then, in the Takeover Tour game in Detroit on Saturday versus the New York Sirens, Dubois scored back-to-back goals, leading a third-period rally that helped Montreal not only grab a 3-1 win, but secure a point for the 11th straight game.
Son deuxième du match !!!!! Her second of the game !!!!
While Stacey has the speed, and Roque has both skill and grit, Dubois’ strength and shot make her a force in the offensive zone. She’s a tough body to move in front of the net, is vicious on the forecheck, and when she can that shot away, watch out. With Poulin out for at least another week or so, expect to see Dubois continue to get loads of ice time.
Nicole Gosling, D (Montreal Victoire)
Speaking of players who have been seeing the ice a lot, rookie Nicole Gosling has been a breath of fresh air for Montreal. She’s been put in a lot of tough situations and has risen to the occasion against some of the league’s best.
This past week, she started to show that offensive side to her game that made her an exceptional two-way rearguard at Clarkson. She scored the second goal of her PWHL career in the Takeover game in Winnipeg on Sunday, Montreal’s lone tally in an overtime loss to the Ottawa Charge.
rapido-presto, tout de suite après la mise au jeu rapido presto, right off the faceoff
The London, Ont. native didn’t stop there. She also added an assist in the victory over the Frost, leading Montreal in ice time (23:14). Ever since her first game, Gosling has been handed a lot of responsibility, and it shows in her stat line, as she is second on the Victoire in average ice time (21:13) behind Kati Tabin.
With 11 points, she is tied for fifth in rookie scoring and third among first-year blueliners.