PWHL Power Rankings: Toronto stays on top, but Montreal is slipping
A notable favorite at the beginning of the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League is stumbling heading in the World Championship break, while other teams are slowly rebuilding confidence.
Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl once again discuss where they believe the teams stand in the latest PWHL Power Rankings.
1. Toronto
Record: 9-3-0-5, +10
Last Week: 1st
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Tyler’s Rank: 1st
Hunter: I’ve waxed poetic about Toronto these past two months, and how can you not love what they’re bringing to the table? Winners of 10 straight, Kristen Campbell only allowing one goal, Hannah Miller continuing to provide an offensive flair and their defensive structure has stepped up big time in the second half of the season.
What I really liked in their 2-1 win over Montreal in Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena last Sunday was how many shots Toronto was able to generate from the point. Jocelyne Larocque had five shots and Kali Flanagan had two of her own, one resulting in the eventual game-winning goal in the second period. Nine of Toronto’s 26 shots came from their defenders. When you’re getting chances from everyone on the ice, eventually a few of them will go in.
Tyler: As Dan Patrick used to say, “You can’t stop them, you can only hope to contain them.” Toronto is tearing through the league and is on pace to finish atop the standings. In the win over Montreal, they truly outplayed a team that we thought was the favorite to win it all (but we’ll get to them later). While Kristen Campbell plays consistently between the pipes, seeing depth players like Hannah Miller and Kali Flanagan step up in the clutch shows this team has key assets throughout their lineup.
Toronto will be a little busier this week, hosting Boston on Wednesday before another edition of the Battle of Ontario against Ottawa on Saturday.
2. Minnesota
Record: 8-3-3-4, +11
Last Week: 3rd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd
Hunter: Two impressive wins for Minnesota this week over Boston and New York, winning by a combined score of 9-1. Taylor Heise is back to being a production wizard with a goal and three assists this week.
What really stood out was how suffocating Minnesota was in the neutral zone and in their own end through the two games, holding Boston and New York to 20 and 21 shots, respectively. Head coach Ken Klee has his group snapped out of whatever funk they may have had in February, and now they’re winners of four straight.
Tyler: There was a reason I picked three Minnesota players as the PWHL Players of the Week, because Minnesota looked that good when they beat up both Boston and New York. Kendall Coyne Schofield was efficient, as was Grace Zumwinkle, which was a great sign for a team seemingly struggling to score.
Maybe the biggest news for the team was the debut of Sydney Brodt on Saturday against New York. After sitting out of the lineup due to a preseason injury, seeing the former Minnesota-Duluth star pick up an assist in her first game shows how important she will be in the last few weeks of the season as they fight with Toronto for first place.
Minnesota has a nice break before hosting Montreal next Sunday.
3. Montreal
Record: 7-3-3-5, 0
Last Week: 2nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler’s Rank: 3rd
Hunter: Montreal has surprisingly found itself in a tough spot, as they’ve lost three straight and have been jumped by both Toronto and Minnesota in the league standings. But having no Marie-Philip Poulin in their last two games is a massive blow, and the club is hoping their recent addition of three-time NWHL/PHF All-Star Amanda Boulier will help bolster their blue line.
It’s the team’s depth up front that has me worried as we get closer to the postseason. Beyond Poulin’s production and Laura Stacey’s seven goals, Montreal doesn’t have many sources of offense. In fact, if you take away Claire Dalton’s hat trick on Feb. 24, and no one on the club has more than three goals. Fans can hope that Poulin returns either Sunday vs. Minnesota or after the international break, but regardless, some players will need to step up.
Tyler: Who would’ve thought losing one player would cause a team so many problems? Then again, when it’s Captain Canada, it is easy to see what Montreal has been missing over the last couple of games. They looked incapable of creating offense against Toronto, and showed glaring issues when they fell to Ottawa the weekend prior.
I will say, the move to send Vanišová to Ottawa for Boulier was a head-scratcher. If you are struggling to score, wouldn’t you want to either add offense at the deadline, or at least keep the scoring options you already have? Nevertheless, with no timetable for Poulin’ return prior to Women’s Worlds, Montreal is going to have to grind through the next couple of weeks.
Like last week, Montreal has just one game, as they visit Minnesota on Sunday.
4. Boston
Record: 4-4-2-7, -8
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Tyler’s Rank: 4th
Hunter: Though Boston may have beaten Ottawa in a shootout on Saturday, I thought they gave up some prime chances throughout regulation. Their goaltending might be what seals them the fourth playoff spot, but they’ll need to rack up some points with road games against Toronto on Wednesday and the last PWHL game before the international break against New York next Monday.
Speaking of trades between Boston and Ottawa, Boston acquired Lexie Adzija and Caitrin Lonergan after parting with Shiann Darkangelo. Adzija was one of the most ferocious players in Ottawa’s lineup, scoring five goals and three assists for eight points in 17 games. I’ll be in attendance for their game against Toronto, I’m curious to see how they deploy Adzija in her first game with the new club.
Tyler: Sure, they were handed their lunch by Minnesota last week, but how they responded in front of an American record attendance in Detroit last Saturday, Boston showed they are more than just a fringe playoff team. Hilary Knight and Megan Keller both played hard in front of a pro-Boston crowd.
I am interested to see if their trade with Ottawa pays off. Losing a defensive forward like Darkangelo is going to be tough, but bringing in a spirited offensive weapon like Adzija will give Boston an extra boost up front, especially with Loren Gabel being out for the next few weeks.
Boston is in action just once this week, as they visit Toronto on Wednesday.
5. Ottawa
Record: 5-0-6-6, -5
Last Week: 4th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Tyler’s Rank: 5th
Hunter: I was lucky enough to be in attendance for last Saturday’s game, and the in-person eye test confirmed how I felt: they’re a relentless forechecking group that loves to make life miserable for the opposition. However, beyond an Emily Clark power play goal, Ottawa wasn’t able to finish any of their chances, giving them their league-leading sixth loss in extra time (no other team has more than three).
After acquiring Tereza Vanišová from Montreal in the Boulier trade, as well as Shiann Darkangelo in a trade with Boston, Ottawa hopes the two forwards provide an offensive spark that this Ottawa team needs if they want to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot.
Tyler: Ottawa went zero to 100 in terms of working the phones before the trade deadline. I don’t want to say their loss to Boston had anything to do with it, but I guess you reconsider your roster after losing in front of almost 14,000 people.
For a team that was built from the net out, Carla MacLeod and Michael Hirshfield decided they needed to be stronger in the top nine, which they addressed by acquiring Vanišová from Montreal, and getting depth down the middle with Darkangelo. We’ll see if it pays off in the battle with Boston.
The new teammates don’t have much time to acclimate to their new surroundings before Ottawa’s next game, a Wednesday night affair with New York.
6. New York
Record: 2-4-3-8, -8
Last Week: 6th
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Tyler’s Rank: 6th
Tyler: I heard conflicting reports that New York was going to stay quiet heading into the deadline, but also heard that teams were not buying what general manager Pascal Daoust was selling. I have not been told who was on the table, but from all signs, New York was not buying to get back into the playoff race.
It is tough as New York was a team that surprised everyone with some good play early on, but the energy no longer seems there. It doesn’t help that their big guns, Alex Carpenter, Abby Roque and Ella Shelton have been the target of the opposition’s best defensive pieces.
Hunter: Only playing one game this week, New York was on the receiving end of a lopsided affair against Minnesota with a 5-1 loss. The score doesn’t do justice to how much Minnesota controlled the game, doubling New York’s shot total of 20 with 41 of their own.
Losers of six straight, four of those in regulation, New York is playing itself out of playoff contention, leaving Boston and Ottawa to fight for the final spot. Corrine Schroeder gave up five goals for the first time this season, but her .935 SV% is still tied for second in the league. It’s hard not to feel like the rest of this lineup is letting her down as we reach the conclusion of the league’s inaugural season.
New York only has one matchup to worry about, as they host Ottawa on Wednesday.