Ann-Renée Desbiens made 43 saves and rookie Maureen Murphy’s first professional goal was the overtime winner as Montreal defeated Ottawa 2-1 at Place Bell on Saturday.
The official crowd was 8,646 at Place Bell which set a Canadian record for highest attendance at a professional women’s hockey regular season game. The previous record was set in Ottawa on January 2 in the first game between these two teams.
With 1:30 remaining in overtime, the loose puck went to the high slot and was picked up by Murphy who fired the puck past Emerance Maschmeyer.
Le but gagnant compté par MURPHY!
— PWHL Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) January 27, 2024
Murph's first professional goal was an OT winner! pic.twitter.com/PXLNbLGbcI
“When we were going up the ice I was screaming for the puck from Kati Tabin,” Murphy said. “The crowd was so excited that there was no way she heard me. It was dumb luck that the puck got to me in the slot. Ann-Renée really solidified the game for us so that goal doesn’t happen unless she makes 40-plus unreal saves.”
Murphy and Desbiens were next to each other in the post-game press conference. Murphy said ‘good job’ to Desbiens, who then responded “thanks for scoring.”
After the goal, Ottawa challenged for goaltender interference as there was contact between Ann-Sophie Bettez and the Ottawa goaltender, but after a review it was called a good goal. It was the second Montreal overtime goal at home that underwent a review but this one counted.
“I was like ‘not again’,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. “I think we better prepared for any result. It’s not what you know, it’s about how much you learn and I think we learned from the last time this happened to settle, make sure we were if we had to go back to play this again we were going to be ready. I was planning for it to be called back. I didn’t see the replay so I was anticipating to be ready for it.”
“I was pretty stressed,” Murphy said about the review. “We don’t have a good track record with review in OT.”
Desbiens was once again the difference. It was the third game in a row that Montreal allowed at least 40 shots on goal. In those three games they have a regulation win, an overtime win, and a shootout loss. On Wednesday, Elaine Chuli made 45 saves in a 2-1 win in Minnesota.
Cheverie had said that she wasn’t concerned about shot volume, but after the third such game, there was a bit more urgency in her post-game comments.
“Our goalies are good,” Cheverie said. “Obviously you don’t want to be giving up that many shots that many games in a row but we’re focusing on what we can do to try and limit the grade-A chances in the slot. Right now I’m pretty proud of our group. We continuously find a way, even when things are hard, even when there are a ton of shots, even when we get into penalty trouble. It’s all a part of the process.”
There is one thing that they are going to focus on.
“Stick details are paramount, it’s number one,” Cheverie said. “Stick on puck instead of containing. We’ve got players tracking back, we’ve got players protecting the slot, honestly a lot of times when things are breaking down it has to do with individual attention to detail and not necessarily the structure in place. Stick details is where a lot of the focus will be.”
Laura Stacey opened the scoring with 6:23 remaining in the first period. Erin Ambrose found her streaking off the bench on the right wing. She faked a shot, got Maschmeyer to commit and used her speed and reach to beat the Ottawa goaltender on the wraparound. It was her fourth goal of the season.
Laura ouvre la marque à Laval!
— PWHL Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) January 27, 2024
Wraparound alert!
OTT 0, MTL 1 pic.twitter.com/vgotsEi2Uc
Stacey had another chance early in the second period. She had a shorthanded breakaway, but was brought down by Jincy Roese. A penalty shot was called, but Stacey barrelled into Maschmeyer, causing an injury delay. Maschmeyer eventually stayed in the game and made a tremendous save, reaching back with her glove and keeping the puck out.
The game remained 1-0 until the 6:10 mark of the third period. Brianne Jenner floated a saucer pass to Hayley Scamurra, who fired the shot across the grain, and as Desbiens was sliding across, the puck just managed to squeak between her arm and body and into the net. The power play goal made it 1-1, forcing the eventual overtime.
It was Scamurra’s second goal of the season and second power play goal against Montreal, the first coming in the season opener. Ottawa’s power play went 1/4 in the game, while Montreal’s continued to struggle going 0/2. The Montreal power play is now 1/24 on the season.
Following the PWHL 3 on 3 showcase at the NHL All-Star Game on February 1, Montreal has one game remaining until the international break, next Sunday, February 4 in Boston. After that, they don’t play until February 16 in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena.
Notes
- Catherine Dubois was signed to a second 10-day contract prior to the game, replacing Tereza Vanišová. Vanišová missed practice on Friday, but isn’t expected to be out long term. Dubois played on the top line with Marie-Philip Poulin and Murphy, but was demoted after she took two penalties late in the first period.
- The overtime winner capped off a great week for Maureen Murphy who was named to Team USA for the final leg of the Rivalry Series. It will be her senior national team debut. “I’m really excited but I’m not excited to face [Ann-Renée] and Pou,” she said.
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