Game 9: Montreal (3-2-2-1, 15 pts, 1st) @ Boston (2-2-0-2, 10 pts, 4th)
Tsongas Center
Start time: 3:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM PST
In Canada: TSN3 (live), TSN5 (joined in progress) (English), RDS (French)
In the United States: NESN
Streaming: YouTube, TSN+
After a short All-Star break, Montreal will play their final game before the international break for the Rivalry Series and European tournaments. They will travel to Boston for the first time to face the home team for the second time this season.
Their first meeting was in Montreal’s home opener when Boston rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime and Amanda Pelkey’s OT winner came minutes after Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal was disallowed after a challenge by Boston coach Courtney Kessel.
| Montreal | Statistics | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| 3-2-2-1 | Record (W-OTW-OTL-L) | 2-2-0-2 |
| 2.50 (T-2nd) | Goals per game | 2.67 (1st) |
| 2.25 (T-3rd) | Goals against per game | 2.67 (T-5th) |
| 4.2% (6th) | PP% | 14.3% (3rd) |
| 86.7% (4th) | PK% | 92.3% (1st) |
| 0-0-1-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-1-0-0 |
Montreal will be without Kristin O’Neill, who is unavailable for the team and was replaced on Canada’s Rivalry Series roster next week. The team says it’s precautionary for medical reasons which means the team doesn’t want her to get more injured and feel rest will do her good. The team has been proactive with injury management this season.
Catherine Dubois will play the final game of her second 10-day contract of the season. After missing last game, Tereza Vanišová is expected to return. Dominika Lásková wasn’t at practice on Saturday before the team left for Boston. This could mean a bigger role for Jillian Dempsey, who will play her first professional game in Boston as a member of the opposition after 10 seasons of representing the Boston Blades of the CWHL and Boston Pride of the PHF.
Boston’s top line of Loren Gabel, Alina Müller, and Jamie Lee Rattray is the one to watch for, as they have started to hit their stride offensively. Hilary Knight was on that top line and scored her first goal in overtime of their last game. Boston’s offensive depth doesn’t end there with Theresa Schafzahl, and Hannah Brandt among those providing offence throughout the lineup.
Aerin Frankel and Emma Söderberg have been up and down this season, with some great games and some not so great games. Frankel has been the better of the two and has taken the #1 spot so far this season.
Montreal potential lineup
| FORWARDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 TEREZA VANIŠOVÀ | 29 MARIE-PHILIP POULIN | 15 MAUREEN MURPHY | |||
| 24 ANN-SOPHIE BETTEZ | 8 GABRIELLE DAVID | 7 LAURA STACEY | |||
| 16 SARAH LEFORT | 26 SARAH BUJOLD | 22 KENNEDY MARCHMENT | |||
| 28 CATHERINE DUBOIS | 14 JILLIAN DEMPSEY | 42 CLAIRE DALTON | |||
| DEFENDERS | |||||
| 2 MARIAH KEOPPLE | 23 ERIN AMBROSE | ||||
| 9 KATI TABIN | 4 CATHERINE DAOUST | ||||
| 12 LEAH LUM | 6 MADISON BIZAL / 10 BRIGITTE LAGANIÈRE | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | |||||
| 20 ELAINE CHULI | |||||
| 35 ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS | |||||
Extras: G 1 Marlène Boissonnault, F 43 Kristin O’Neill, D 96 Dominika Lásková
Boston potential lineup
| FORWARDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 JAMIE LEE RATTRAY | 11 ALINA MÜLLER | 36 LOREN GABEL | |||
| 21 HILARY KNIGHT | 20 HANNAH BRANDT | 9 SOPHIE SHIRLEY | |||
| 37 THERESA SCHAFZAHL | 19 GIGI MARVIN | 12 TAYLOR WENCZKOWSKI | |||
| 17 TAYLOR GIRARD | 27 SHIANN DARKANGELO | 16 AMANDA PELKEY | |||
| DEFENDERS | |||||
| 5 MEGAN KELLER | 7 SIDNEY MORIN | ||||
| 22 JESSICA DIGIROLAMO | 13 KALEIGH FRATKIN | ||||
| 2 EMILY BROWN | 18 SOPHIE JAQUES / 97 JESS HEALEY | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | |||||
| 31 AERIN FRANKEL | |||||
| 30 EMMA SÖDERBERG | |||||
Extras: G 35 Cami Kronish, F 77 Nicole Kosta
