PWHL Power Rankings: Fleet, Frost leading the pack heading into Olympics
The PWHL is going to kick back for the next couple of weeks, and let the best players in the world take center stage at the Winter Olympics. After what was a thrilling send-off last Wednesday, a couple of teams look like the true league leaders as the break begins.
Today, I rank the eight teams, and what they think of them, with some of their players heading overseas.
1. Boston Fleet
Record: 8-2-2-2, +11
Last Week: 1st
Tyler: The Fleet enters the break with the best record in the league, though not by as wide a margin as it was earlier in the season. The team has won each of its past three games, with each victory coming by a single goal, including shootout victories over the Seattle Torrent and New York Sirens. While Boston isn’t hammering teams, Kris Sparre’s team never seems to be playing out of control.
With a lot of veteran leadership and talent, it’s easy to see the Fleet has put everything together and placed itself at the top of the charts. Obviously, keeping things going into the second half of the season will be the true challenge.
The Fleet will return to play on Feb. 28, when they visit the Ottawa Charge.
2. Minnesota Frost
Record: 7-2-3-3, +17
Last Week: 2nd
Tyler: Just keep scoring. That seems to be Ken Klee’s message to the two-time defending champions. The Frost scored 20 goals over the final five games heading into the break, with the team going 4-0-1 over that span. It’s the big guns – Kendall Coyne Schofield, Taylor Heise and Kelly Pannek – as well as players like Katy Knoll and Mae Batherson, who have helped Minnesota become the PWHL’s best offense.
It’s hard to say what this team needs because they certainly look like an unstoppable force now. Also, it’s not like the Frost needs to finish first in the league to have success when it matters most.
The second-place Frost won’t play until next month, visiting the Montreal Victoire on March 1.
3. Montreal Victoire
Record: 7-3-0-5, +11
Last Week: 3rd
Tyler: After seemingly trudging through the first couple of months of the season, the Victoire are starting to look like the team many of us hoped to see before the campaign got underway. Yes, Marie-Philip Poulin is still leading the charge, but since that win over the Frost a couple of weeks ago, the team has had confidence and production from others in their lineup. To Maureen Murphy finding her groove, to the power play coming up with some big goals, the Victoire are on a roll, and it could spell trouble for the rest of the league.
The Victoire, sitting third in the PWHL, will be playing in the first PWHL game after the Olympics, facing the New York Sirens in Newark on Feb. 26.
4. Ottawa Charge
Record: 4-5-0-7, -1
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Tyler: There is nothing perfect about the Charge, but that’s what makes them so exciting to watch. They are literally the Forrest Gump of the PWHL (y’know, the “box of chocolates” and “not knowing what you’re gonna get”). Even though they enter the break just two points back of the last playoff spot, they are one of the four teams in the PWHL with more wins than losses. If you take away their two road games against the Victoire, Ottawa has won eight games in a row…which is insane given where the team was earlier this season.
I still think the Charge need a little more depth if they want to get back to the postseason, but as of now, they’re looking like a tough team to beat (unless you’re Montreal).
The Charge will be at home in their first game back from the break on Feb. 28, hosting the Fleet.
5. New York Sirens
Record: 7-0-3-6, -4
Last Week: 4th (-1)
Tyler: The Sirens went into the pause on a bit of a whimper, losing to the Frost before falling in the shootout to the Fleet. That said, New York has points in eight of its past nine games, hanging onto fourth place as we enter February. Kristýna Kaltounková is still playing at not only a rookie of the year pace, but one who looks to challenge for league MVP. It’s allowed for someone like Sarah Fillier to have some pressure taken off her, though I’d like to see the Canadian star pot a few more goals.
The best part of the break for New York is that Kayle Osborne will have a chance to get a breather. While she’s heading to Italy with Canada, she most likely won’t play. For someone who’s played in all but one game so far, the second-year netminder will, hopefully, get a much-needed break.
The Sirens will host the Victoire on Feb. 26, the first game after the Olympic break.
6. Toronto Sceptres
Record: 4-1-3-8, -18
Last Week: 6th
Tyler: Out of all the teams in the PWHL, the Sceptres look like they’re heading in the wrong direction. Granted, traveling to the Pacific Northwest isn’t an easy trip, leading to a pair of disappointing losses. Also, nobody’s beating the Victoire at home, so that 3-0 loss last Wednesday can almost be nixed from memory. That said, Toronto needs to shake things up.
I know Gina Kingsbury and Troy Ryan are going to have their focus on helping Canada win gold in Milan, but they need to be thinking ahead to what adjustments they need to make before the trade deadline, or else the path back to the playoffs will start looking bleak for the team in the Six…kind of a theme these days, eh?
Toronto will be on the road coming out of the pause, facing the Seattle Torrent on Feb. 27.
7. Vancouver Goldeneyes
Record: 5-1-2-8, -8
Last Week: 7th
Tyler: The Goldeneyes have started to turn things around, despite still being unable to win in away games. Losing to the Frost in the final game before the break ended a three-game point streak for the expansion team. Yet, given that Vancouver was a team in the basement for several weeks, the fact that the team is just a couple of wins away from the top four is a positive sign.
With players like Sarah Nurse and Michelle Karvinen starting to find their groove, and a five-game homestand on the horizon, the Goldneyes have a chance to make up some ground coming out of the break.
The Goldeneyes begin the homestand on March 1 against the Sceptres.
8. Seattle Torrent
Record: 4-1-2-7, -9
Last Week: 8th
Tyler: That loss to the Charge in the final game before the pause was a killer for the Torrent. Allowing four goals in the third period, including three unanswered, changed Seattle’s narrative from having some momentum heading into the break, to a team still looking for answers. The team has two games in hand on the rest of the league, but it needs help to simply get back into the playoff conversation.
While Corinne Schroeder and Hannah Murphy haven’t been amazing between the pipes, they need some goal support. Outside of the 6-4 win over Toronto a couple of weeks ago, Seattle has scored four or more goals once. For a team that went out and acquired some strong offensive weapons, including Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes, the returns have certainly been underwhelming.
The Torrent are back on home ice coming out of the break, hosting Toronto on Feb. 27.