When PWHL Montreal take to the ice on Thursday night at Place Bell, they will be facing off against Boston.
The series was locked in when Toronto, who finished the regular season in first place chose to play Minnesota. That will be the other best-of-five semi-final. The winners will then battle in a best-of-five Walter Cup final.
Montreal and Boston split the series with one regulation win and one overtime each in their four games (points were 6-6). That included the final game of the regular season, where Boston went out to a 3-0 lead, saw Montreal tie it at 3-3 and then Boston scored with 1:20 left on a crazy deflection off a defender. The regulation win clinched Boston’s playoff spot.
The two met in Montreal’s home opener on January 13, where Amanda Pelkey scored the overtime winner minutes after Marie-Philip Poulin’s OT goal was disallowed for goaltender interference. Laura Stacey’s overtime winner ended the February 4 at Tsongas Center for Montreal. Marie-Philip Poulin had a goal and two assists in Montreal’s 3-1 win at the Verdun Auditorium on March 2. Boston has never played Montreal at Place Bell, which is where the playoff games will be hosted in Montreal.
Boston finished the regular season in third place, earning the tie breaker over Minnesota due to one additional overtime win.
There are some intriguing connections in this matchup. Former Canadiennes forward Hilary Knight is Boston’s captain, and will be facing Montreal captain Poulin for the first time in a professional league playoff game.
Boston forward Jamie Lee Rattray, who did not finish Boston’s regular season finale, was teammates with Laura Stacey with the Brampton/Markham Thunder as was Boston’s Nicole Kosta. Boston’s Kelly Babstock and Montreal’s Sarah Bujold were teammates with the Metropolitan Riveters. Montreal forward Jillian Dempsey played her entire hockey career in the Boston area until being drafted by Montreal.
Montreal and Boston faced off twice in Clarkson Cup finals, 2013 and 2015, with Boston winning both times.
Game 1 will be played on Thursday, May 9 with Game 2 being at Place Bell on Saturday, May 11. The two teams will shift venues for Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) on May 14 and 16 before returning (if necessary) to Place Bell for Game 5 on Sunday, May 19.
