By way of heartbreaking losses to the Boston Fleet, the Montreal Victoire has lived that earlier than. However after dropping 4-3 in time beyond regulation to the first-place Fleet regardless of taking a 3-0 lead into the third interval, the Victoire is now trying on the positives.
Not like 2024 when the staff misplaced three straight playoff video games in time beyond regulation to Boston (9-5-2-3) and noticed its season finish in a sweep, 11 regular-season video games stay and Montreal intends to maneuver ahead.
“I’d a lot favor this occurring now than in a while down the highway, that’s for certain,” mentioned Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. “This can be a nice studying for us to have now as an alternative of Might.”
Added Montreal ahead Laura Stacey: “The messaging, the sensation within the room is let it damage tonight. We regroup, we’ve got one other sport Thursday and we’ve got to be taught from it.”
And Stacey feels there’s a lot Montreal (9-4-1-5) can take away from the sport.
“There’s quite a bit to be taught, however there’s additionally some actually nice issues to be pleased with,” she mentioned. “We’re up 3-0 in opposition to the first-place staff within the league.
“Our energy play is clicking; our penalty kill killed a five-minute main within the third interval. The physicality, the primary 48 minutes of the sport, we owned it. The pictures on purpose. Frankel is a superb goaltender, to get three on her that’s one thing to be pleased with.”
Stacey’s phrases have weight to them. With Montreal defender Erin Ambrose on long-term injured reserve and captain Marie-Philip Poulin leaving the sport within the first interval, Stacey is the one member of the staff’s normal management group remaining.
With simply over three minutes remaining within the first and Montreal on the facility play, Poulin collided with Boston ahead Shay Maloney on the aspect boards. Immediately she began favouring her proper leg.
It was the identical leg she injured in opposition to Czechia on the Winter Olympics on Feb. 9. It compelled her to overlook two video games on the Olympics, and Montreal’s first PWHL contest following the Olympic break.
This was Montreal’s fourth sport after the Olympics.
“We’ve been batting some adversity right here, and I feel with that being mentioned it’s fairly superior to see how this staff’s coming collectively, how all people’s selecting up the items,” Stacey mentioned. “No person’s going to switch No. 29 on the market, and everyone knows that.
“However what we will do is each little factor we probably can to try to win it as a staff collectively. When your captain goes down, to see the way in which the group responded, to see that feeling within the locker room of ‘We acquired this,’ I feel that’s what you wish to really feel, that your staff not solely needs to carry her up, however they wish to do it for her.”
Abby Roque, who had a purpose and two assists within the sport, was requested to step up in Poulin’s absence. She moved to centre on the staff’s prime line, and within the third interval when the staff was down two defenders due to penalties, she even was requested to play defence.
“You return to the drafting board,” Roque mentioned. “I like to look at video the identical night time if I can get my palms on it … see what I did proper, see what I did mistaken.
“As a staff we love to do it as shortly as doable since you do should be taught from video games like this, however you additionally should let go and consider the positives, and also you have a look at each of these and take the great, attempt to throw away the dangerous and we’ve got fast turnaround to play Thursday.”
‘NEVER A DOUBT’
Boston head coach Kris Sparre is in his first season teaching the Fleet within the PWHL. However he has full confidence in his staff, which moved three factors forward of Montreal atop the standings regardless of trailing 3-0 after 40 minutes.
“You come right into a constructing like this that’s loud, and you’ve got a staff sitting right here ready for you for 11 days, it’s a tricky one to battle again from,” he mentioned. “Going into the third interval, actually, there was by no means a doubt.
“We mentioned ‘let’s get one and see what occurs. We acquired the primary one comparatively early, after which our bench took over from there.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 15, 2026.