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Like their 6-0 NHL affiliate, Les Canadiennes de Montreal are undefeated, improving their record to 2-0 with a 5-2 win over the Brampton Thunder on Sunday afternoon. Montreal was coming off a big opening day 4-0 victory over Brampton on Saturday night, capping off a perfect start to the season.
Katia Clément-Heydra, drafted in the second round at the Player Entry Draft this past August, was first on the scoresheet, scoring the first goal of her CWHL career . Ann-Sophie Bettez fed Clement-Heydra the puck beautifully; Audrey Morand also assisted on the goal.
Les Canadiennes then found themselves on the power play, and Bettez capitalized, putting her team up by two just 37 seconds after the advantage began. Brampton placed themselves in a bit of trouble with their special teams early on, taking a few too many penalties, as was the case in their loss the night before.
In the second period, Caroline Ouellette solidified her spot in the CWHL record books, scoring her second goal of the young season, and her 250th career CWHL point (in just 126 games played!).
Jess Jones played an excellent second period for the Thunder, and finally found a way to beat Canadiennes' netminder Charline Labonté, who had been perfect to that point of the season.
The Thunder tried to keep the pressure on in the third, but Noémie Marin got another puck past Liz Knox, thanks to a little help from Kim Deschênes and Emmanuelle Blais.
Soon after, Blais took a roughing penalty, and the Thunder made Les Canadiennes pay on the ensuing power play opportunity as Jamie Lee Rattray, with assists from Laura Fortino and Courtney Birchard, cut Montreal's lead to 4-2.
The final five minutes of the game were perhaps the most exciting, as a penalty to Canadiennes captain Cathy Chartrand with Marie-Philip Poulin already in the box for tripping granted Brampton a five-on-three advtanage for 41 seconds. Thunder head coach Tyler Fines called a timeout, and the vistors tried to put their special teams to work once again.
Unable to score on the power play, Brampton pulled Knox for the extra attacker, but it was Poulin who found the mark, scoring her third of the season on the empty net, sealing the 5-2 victory.
Beating Brampton 9-2 on aggregate this weekend, Les Canadiennes looked really strong, and pulled off both victories in convincing fashion in front of their hometown fans at Étienne-Desmarteau Arena.
Three Stars of the Game
1) Caroline Ouellette (Montreal)
2) Carly Hill (Montreal)
3) Jamie Lee Rattray (Brampton)
By the Numbers
Montreal outshot Brampton 35-21.
Charline Labonté stopped 19 of the 21 shots she faced, posting a .905 SV%, while Liz Knox made 30 saves on 34 shots, posting an .882 SV%.
Each team was 1/6 on the power play.
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Next up, Les Canadiennes visit the Toronto Furies on Saturday, October 31, as Jordanna Peroff will get to faceoff against her former team for the first time.