Six burning questions as the PWHL returns: Sellout in Montreal, playoff contenders, race for first place

Following another exciting edition of the IIHF Women’s World Championship, it is crunch time in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

With three weeks until the Walter Cup Playoffs get underway, teams are jockeying for postseason seeding and trying to simply make the playoffs.

Before play resumes on Thursday, Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl took a look at a few storylines heading down to the stretch:

Who is the favorite to finish first place?

As the league gets back in action, three teams lead the race for first in the PWHL. Toronto (10-3-0-6) sits atop the standings with 36 points, one ahead of Minnesota (8-4-3-4) and five in front of Montreal (7-3-4-5).

Hunter: This may shock you, but the Toronto-based writer is going with Toronto as his favorite to finish first place in the league.

Ottawa may have snapped their 11-game winning streak right before the international break, and a rejuvenated Montreal and Minnesota will be sure to steal some points in the last month of the season, but I just love Toronto’s complete game to believe another team will eclipse them.

Tyler: It will come down to which team gets a better jump coming out of the break. I would love to be crafty and say Minnesota, since players like Kendall Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise played well at the Women’s Worlds. However, Toronto was looking so good over the last couple of months, and they had numerous members on Team Canada, including the PWHL’s leading scorer, Natalie Spooner.

If the Canadian stars can build off their gold-medal performance, Troy Ryan’s team is well on pace for first place.

Is Marie-Philip Poulin capable of carrying Montreal?

Montreal was, at one point, the strongest team in the league. However, prior to the break, the team went on a little bit of a slide, losing four straight games, including losing captain Marie-Philip Poulin to a lower-body injury. Captain Clutch returned to action for Team Canada, and it took until the gold medal game for her to look like her normal self.

Hunter: This is a tough one. Poulin did not play in Montreal’s last three games, partly because she wanted to be available for Canada at the World Championship. As I write this, I highly doubt she’s 100 percent, let alone 90 or even 80 percent. The combination of a professional and international schedule puts a lot of kilometers on a player’s body and having already been injured, it may not be fair to ask much of Poulin. 

But then again, it’s Poulin. She’s the best damn player on the planet. Her at 70 percent is better than nearly every other player on the planet, and if there was one player in the league who could help their club win the league’s first championship, it would be her.

Tyler: I know everyone around Team Canada is saying that he is 100 percent, but let’s call a spade a spade, Poulin looked average for most of the time in Utica. However, she turned it on at the right time, which earned her the nickname of Captain Clutch.

That said, I agree with Hunter. If Poulin can bring 80-90 percent of what we know she is capable of, that will drive confidence throughout the rest of the lineup and make Montreal a threat once again and favorites to win the Walter Cup.

Will Ottawa stay hot?

Following the trade deadline, Ottawa (7-0-6-6) found a winning formula that was unattainable during a five-game losing streak earlier in the season. They won three of their last four games before the pause, holding the fourth and final playoff spot.

Hunter: If you read back on all my previous PWHL columns or Tyler and I’s Power Rankings, you’ll notice a theme in my evaluation of Ottawa: short on talent but the hardest-working team in the league. They’re relentless in their puck pursuit, in getting in lanes, and their battles in the corner. It’s really something else to watch. 

As mentioned, they snapped Toronto’s 11-game winning streak right before the international break, and they’re riding that momentum into the final chunk of the season. They’re currently ranked No. 4 and four points behind Montreal. I don’t know whether they’ll climb on the standings, but I know they’ll make life uncomfortable for whomever they play. 

Tyler: Ottawa has the tools to keep things going. You have a mixture of players who are still in the rhythm of playing games, like Tereza Vanisova, Akane Shiga and Brianne Jenner. Also, a couple of key players will be fresh as they had the time off over the international break, including Daryl Watts. All of them played key roles in their recent run.

If there is anything Carla MacLeod can take out of the Women’s Worlds, is that she can rely on either of her two goaltenders. Emerance Maschmeyer has been Ottawa’s no. 1 goaltender all season, but Sandra Abstreiter showed up for Team Germany, and was named the tournament’s best goaltender. The tandem has quickly became my favorite for best duo in the P-dub.

Can Boston or New York sneak into the playoffs?

The two teams sitting outside the PWHL Playoff picture is Boston (4-4-2-9) and New York (3-4-3-9). Both teams limped their way into the international break, with Boston losing three of its final four games, including its last game on March 25 against New York. That win for New York snapped a season-high seven-game losing streak.

Hunter: If you were to ask me this question in person, I would instinctively answer like Peter Campbell would to Bob Benson: “Not great, Bob!” 

Look, Boston and New York are five and seven points behind Ottawa for the fourth and final playoff spot, and nothing in their games suggests either will go on a five-game heater to squeak in. Neither team is capable of scoring enough goals to keep up with the rest of the league, and they’ve given up the second- and third-most goals in the league.

Maybe they can hit the reset button next season and take another shot at it. But right now, Toronto, Montreal and Minnesota are simply better teams, and Ottawa is playing itself into the playoffs. 

Tyler: While seven points in a three-point league is not insurmountable, my confidence in New York has dwindled over the past month. Even with players like Ella Shelton and Alex Carpenter, this team is playing with almost no confidence right now. The only saving grace is that four of their final five games are at “home” (two games at the Prudential Center, two at UBS Arena).

How Boston plays against Toronto on Thursday night will be the tell-tale sign that they have what it takes to catch Ottawa. We know they have the personnel to go on a run, and an outstanding goaltender in Aerin Frankel. However, the execution for Courtney Kessel’s team has not been consistent this season. So, I will say yes, they can get into the top four, but if they lose to Ottawa next Wednesday, that might be curtains for their hopes.

Will first place pick third or fourth place in the first round?

Along with the league’s “Gold Plan” format for the draft, the PWHL introduced the option for the regular-season champion to choose either the third or fourth-place team in the opening round. The question is, will they?

Hunter: This is a tough one. At the moment, Toronto is in first place in the league and, at one point, had an 11-game winning streak. But the team that snapped it was Ottawa, and when it comes to head-to-head matches, Toronto is 1-3-0. 

Lots of people think the first-place team would pick the weaker opponent, but in this case, it might be so they can avoid their worst enemy.

Tyler: I know people think it is dumb to believe the regular season champion will not choose the lowest seed available. However, don’t be surprised if a team like Toronto or Minnesota analyzes how the bottom two playoff teams. For example, if you were to ask me who I’d pick between Montreal and Ottawa–before the Women’s Worlds–I would take Montreal.

Variables like head-to-head record, who’s in or out of the lineup, and how well a team is playing heading into the playoffs will factor into the no. 1 team’s decision next month.

How loud will it be in Montreal on Saturday night?

The PWHL is hosting another marquee matchup between Toronto and Montreal inside an NHL arena this coming Saturday night, as the rival will meet at the Bell Centre in the “Duel at the Top.” Tickets to the event have been sold out for weeks, meaning the game will set a new attendance record for an indoor women’s hockey game.

Hunter: Remember how excited Montreal Canadiens fans were when, after years of playoff failures and the COVID-19 pandemic, they could not see their beloved Habitants in person—but then the team made it to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning? 

That loud, maybe louder. Quebec has a deep love and respect for women’s hockey and has proven with loyal fanbases for now-defunct professional teams and massive support for Canadian University hockey. When the players step onto the ice this Saturday, expect a reaction that makes the Battle on Bay Street green with envy.

Tyler: I am bummed I did not get to go to the Battle on Bay Street, I am even more jealous of those who will be at Centre Bell on Saturday night. You have to remember that Montreal hasn’t had a winning team in a few years, so fans in the area will be jacked to see this team on the big stage. These fans know Hockey, men’s or women’s. You know they are going to bring a ton of energy on Saturday night.

I know PWHL Montreal is different from the Montreal Canadiens…but they have to come out to “Fix You” by Coldplay, right?