After their fifth one-goal loss in six playoff games over the last two seasons, the Montreal Victoire are searching for answers.
The words “find a way” were used five times in Tuesday’s postgame press conference both by head coach Kori Cheverie, who also used it in her in-game interview, and by the players. The fact is, after losing 1-0 in Game 3 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League semifinal, they have now scored nine goals in six official playoff games, but if you count overtime, it is nine goals over 27 periods of hockey. If you do the math, it’s one goal every three periods which makes games incredibly hard to win.
Gwyneth Philips, Ottawa’s goaltender has a 1.18 goals against average and .957 save percentage through three games. Last year was Aerin Frankel. Montreal has taken 260 shots in their six playoff games over the last two seasons. They have scored nine goals, good for a whopping 3.5%. This year they have scored on 4.3% of their shots which remarkably is an improvement from their 2.8% last year.
You can blame shooting luck, sure, but you also make your own luck and Montreal hasn’t put themselves in the right positions to do so.
“We need to do a better job of taking her eyes away,” said Montreal defender and power play quarterback Erin Ambrose. “She is an elite goaltender. She’s shown that multiple times both internationally and here. I also think that we have elite goal scorers on this team and we just need to find a way to get dirty ones.”
Philips made 26 saves for her first post-season shutout on Tuesday night. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 24 saves for Montreal. The game’s only goal came at 8:42 of the third period when Mannon McMahon pounced on a rebound at the side of the net.
“Pucks and bodies have to go to the dirty areas,” Ambrose said. “We talk about it all the time, watching NHL games, the goals go off of people so I think executing different plays but also executing getting to the net as well.”
Later in the conference, Marie-Philip Poulin was asked if they could take anything from last year going into an elimination game. Her answer was delayed, she said, because she was thinking about last year.
“Every time you’re in that situation, everyone is ready to go not only physically but mentally,” Poulin said. “Those are the big games you want to play. It’s why you practice and do extra reps. It’s why you grind all year long. It’s why you have a season of 30 games. For those moments. Last year we lost three times in overtime and it’s hard but you move forward to this year and we’re in a position to make a change and it’s going to be for us to accept that challenge and go to work.”
“Our focus is on the next game,” said Cheverie. “We have to be able to turn the page quickly and correct what we need to correct and come ready for the next one.”
Montreal’s season can end in Game 4 which will be held Friday night in Ottawa.
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