PWHL Power Rankings: Boston, Montreal setting up for exciting first-place battle
As we go deeper into the month of March, the battle for first place in the PWHL is slowly becoming a two-horse race.
While there is still a little over a month left in the regular season, the Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire are looking like the favorites to finish atop the league standings. Yet, there are a number of teams who are trying to work their way up the charts as we close in on the trade deadline.
Hunter Crowther, Scott Maxwell and Tyler Kuehl lay out where they believe the eight teams stand after the first full week of the month.
1. Montreal Victoire
Record: 9-4-0-5, +20
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Tyler’s Rank: 1st
Tyler: Even though Montreal only got two points against Toronto on Tuesday, I thought the team played much better than the final score. Had it not been for Raygan Kirk, the Victoire would have easily won by a few goals. For Victoire, they need to maintain that killer instinct nightly to not only finish atop the PWHL but also finally get over that hump and succeed in the playoffs.
Montreal’s biggest hurdle is going to be the mental game. They certainly have the talent to go far, but as we’ve seen in the first two years of the league, that hasn’t done squat for when it matters most.
Hunter: Make that six straight victories for the Victoire after a 4-3 shootout win over the Sceptres. What’s impressive about this win is that, despite being down 2-0 a few minutes into the second period, Montreal stormed back to tie it, then the two teams exchanged tallies before heading to overtime and a shootout.
After an oddly long break, the Victoire will host the Fleet this weekend in what will be a battle for first place in the league standings.
The Victoire is off until Sunday, when they finally get to play…
2. Boston Fleet
Record: 9-3-2-2, +13
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler: There certainly wasn’t anything pretty about the Fleet’s win over the Sirens last Thursday, but they did what they’ve done almost better than everyone so far…win. Aerin Frankel goes out and stands on her head, stymying a team trying to fight for a playoff spot on home ice. When you have someone like the Green Monster between the pipes, sometimes all you need is one goal. Sure, the Fleet have regressed offensively, but with a goaltender and defense like they’ve shown this year, maybe goals aren’t a requirement. However, when they get to the playoffs, Boston will need someone to step up.
Hunter: The Fleet only played one game last week, earning a 1-0 win against the Sirens. Aerin Frankel stopped 23 shots to earn her fourth shutout of the season, and she now has five straight victories in the crease.
One thing to keep an eye on: Despite winning six of their last seven games, Boston has scored more than two goals just once in that span. Strong goaltending from Frankel and being on the right side of a shootout has saved this team from a much lower ranking in the league standings, which could be the case after a three-game road trip this week.
Boston has a back-to-back on the West Coast this week, facing the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday before taking on the Seattle Torrent on Wednesday.
3. Minnesota Frost
Record: 7-3-3-4, +14
Last Week: 3rd
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler: That lopsided loss to Minnesota inserted a little doubt in my mind about the two-time defending champions. However, the way the Frost managed to gut out a win (regardless) of how controversial on the road against the Sceptres. Even if the Frost might not be playing their best game, they are showing the championship pedigree that has drawn ire and jealousy from fans across the PWHL. The only thing I worry about is – if this team loses a couple of games in a row, they might be found chasing a playoff spot once again. Even for a team that possesses the league’s best offense, that certainly has to be on their minds.
Hunter: The Frost flew into Toronto for their only game of the week and earned an overtime win, thanks to a three-point effort from Taylor Heise, who now has a league-leading 19 points (four goals and 15 assists). When you consider she had just two assists through her first six games this season, where she’s at now is all the more impressive.
As we approach the two-thirds mark of the season, 24 players in the PWHL have reached the double-digit point mark: seven of them play for Minnesota. Those numbers could increase with Frost playing the bottom-ranked Torrent this Friday.
The Frost get to face the Torrent on Friday before heading to Denver for a Takeover Tour clash with the Sirens.
4. New York Sirens
Record: 8-0-3-8, -4
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Tyler’s Rank: 4th
Hunter: With two home games last week, the Sirens dropped a 1-0 effort to the first-place Fleet but responded with a dominant 6-2 win over the Charge, outshooting them 32-18 and getting a two-goal, three-point performance from Sarah Fillier.
It’s been a tepid start for Fillier, who scored just one goal in her first 17 games after an All-Star worthy rookie campaign in 2024-25. If New York wants to clinch their first playoff berth in franchise history, it will need to be a catalyst in that effort.
Tyler: When people ask me what makes this Sirens team different from the team’s first two years in the league, I just show them last Sunday’s effort against the Charge (in front of a great crowd in Newark). The team had lost five games in row, including two close battles with the Fleet, and it looked like the team was spiraling once again. However, the heart and grit New York showed against the Charge, a team they’re battling with for the last playoff spot, is a far cry from the bottom-feeders of yesteryear.
The Sirens begin a tough stretch of four games in a row away from home, including three Takeover Tour games, starting next Sunday against the Frost. The final few weeks of the season, which see the team play eight of its last 11 games on the road, will be the ultimate test in whether New York is an honest playoff contender.
5. Ottawa Charge
Record: 5-5-1-8, +13
Last Week: 4th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Tyler’s Rank: 5th
Tyler: You have to love the art of sport. On one day, you’re winning a spirited contest. Next, you’re looking for answers after a disappointing loss. That’s the ups and downs that the Charge experienced last week. At home, Fanuza Kadirova played the hero in an important win over the Torrent. Then, on Sunday, they looked inferior against the Sirens. It wasn’t just that Ottawa lost out on fourth place, but they were bullied by New York. This is a Charge team that’s supposed to be strong-willed, so that loss to the Sirens better stick in their craw for a little bit.
Hunter: A last-minute goal from Fanuza Kadirova saved the Charge from a potentially embarrassing result at the hands of the last-placed Torrent last week, with Ottawa being outshot 36-27 by Seattle, including a 31-17 total for the second and third periods. They followed that up with another lackluster performance to the Sirens, losing 6-2 and being nearly doubled in shots at 32-18.
We’ve come to expect Ottawa to get outplayed in terms of possession and high-quality shot attempts, but when you see they’re dead-last in 5v5 expected goals at 41.8%, it really puts into perspective how below the rest of the pack they are. If it weren’t for the breakout performances of Rebecca Leslie and captain Brianne Jenner, as well as the all-world goaltending of Gwyneth Philips, this team would be playing for the No. 1 pick, not a playoff spot.
The Charge are off until Saturday, when they visit the Goldeneyes.
6. Toronto Sceptres
Record: 6-1-5-8, -16
Last Week: 5th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Tyler’s Rank: 6th
Hunter: The Sceptres picked up two points this week, but both came via losses in extra time. The defeats carry extra sting when you consider they held leads at one point in both games. Raygen Kirk looked strong in both performances, stopping 31 and 32 shots, respectively.
Despite Toronto being just two points back of a playoff spot, it feels like they’re always one step behind. If it weren’t for the poor play of Ottawa and the lack of experience for the Sirens, I would put their chances of making the playoffs at a much lower rate. But if they can find a spark, the fourth spot is theirs for the taking.
Tyler: Two games on home ice against two of the best teams in the league, and only picking up two points. That doesn’t sound like the formula for a playoff team. They were outplayed by Victoire and Frost in the week that was and only shot themselves in the foot (say what you want, Toronto fans, Renata Fast is great at taking careless penalties in OT).
Kirk has been playing great, giving the Sceptres a chance to win even though she’s hardly been getting the support she needs in front of her. If I’m Gina Kingsbury, I’m making calls to find players who can provide a jolt and get my team back into the playoffs.
The Sceptres aren’t back in action until Sunday, when they host the Torrent.
7. Vancouver Goldeneyes
Record: 5-1-2-9, -9
Last Week: 7th
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Tyler’s Rank: 7th
Hunter: No games for Vancouver last week, but they continue their five-game homestand this week with games against the Fleet and Charge. I’ll be watching for any offense from Tereza Vanisova and Hannah Miller, who last season combined for 25 goals but this year have just one each.
While the two forwards are hardly alone in terms of Goldeneye skaters underproducing, they came to Vancouver with the expectation of being big contributors, and so far that hasn’t been the case. Perhaps another change of scenery is needed if the two want to get back to last season’s production.
Tyler: It’s simple, the Goldeneyes need to start winning if they want any chance of sneaking into the postseason. When nine of your final 13 games are on home ice, you don’t have many excuses to make. Vancouver already dropped its first game of this stretch, in regulation no less. The team has the talent to make a run, and sitting eight points back with at least two games in hand on the Charge and Sirens is the open door the Goldeneyes can take advantage of.
Maybe, in the future, Vancouver could be considered sellers in its current situation, but given the league’s current rules, the team can’t afford to “build” for the future until the offseason.
The Goldeneyes return to action on Tuesday night against the Fleet.
8. Seattle Torrent
Record: 4-1-2-9, +13
Last Week: 8th
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Tyler’s Rank: 8th
Hunter: It’s been a tough start for the Torrent since the Olympic break. After losing their first game back to the Sceptres, they flew to Ottawa and dominated the Charge in terms of possession and shot totals. However, a late Mikyla Grant-Mentis penalty led to a power-play goal with less than two minutes to go, giving Seattle another regulation loss.
You feel for the Torrent, who came back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, but they’re just not quite there yet. They have three games this week, two against playoff teams in Boston and Minnesota.
Tyler: Having lost four games in a row, it’s really hard for me to find a solution to Seattle’s problem. The team has decent goaltending, but can’t get a save when it needs it. The Torrent have goal scorers, but they can’t find the back of the net when a goal is necessary. There are so many “ifs” with this team that I’m starting to think its wins earlier this season were imaginary. As I’ve said in recent weeks, the only saving grace of this rough inaugural season is that Seattle will have a great chance to acquire talent in this year’s PWHL Draft.
The Torrent returns home on Wednesday to take on the Fleet.