Game 7: Montreal (3-1-0-2, 11 pts, 2nd) vs. Toronto (3-0-2-2, 11 pts, 2nd)
Bell Centre
Start time: 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT
In Canada: CBC (English), Radio-Canada (French)
Streaming: YouTube (USA/International), CBC Gem (Canada)
After their first meetings with the Vancouver and Seattle expansion teams out West, the Montreal Victoire enjoyed a short Christmas break before returning to action on Saturday afternoon in their third-annual Bell Centre game.
The team is 1-1 in the two previous games at the Bell Centre, both needing overtime. The one loss for the Victoire came at the hands of the visitors on Saturday: the Toronto Sceptres. Sarah Nurse, who is no longer on the team, ruined the day for the sold-out crowd with two goals, including the OT winner. The over-21,000 fans set a world record for attendance at a women’s hockey game.
This is the fifth professional women’s hockey game at the Bell Centre dating back to two games Les Canadiennes played in 2016 and 2017.
Things this time won’t be easy for Montreal. Not only have they logged a ton of travel over the last two weeks, but they have to face a Toronto team that they have already beaten twice this month. Defeating any team three times in a row will be a challenge, but especially a Toronto team they are tied with in the standings, albeit with a game in hand.
| Montreal | Statistics | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1-0-2 | Record (W-OTW-OTL-L) | 3-0-2-2 |
| 2.33 (3rd) | Goals per game | 2.14 (4th) |
| 1.33 (2nd) | Goals against per game | 2.43 (T-5th) |
| 11.8% (6th) | PP% | 10.5% (7th) |
| 93.8% (2nd) | PK% | 81.8% (5th) |
| 1-1-0-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 0-0-1-1 |
Montreal is coming off of a 2-1 loss in Seattle, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Toronto is coming off of a 4-3 loss to Ottawa, a game where they held a 3-0 lead. Both games were played on Tuesday.
Both teams have some injury question marks heading into the game. Montreal has Catherine Dubois, who missed the last three games with an injury and has been listed as day-to-day. They also have Jade Downie-Landry and Lina Ljungblom on Long Term Injured Reserve, although both were practicing on Friday with non-contact jerseys on. Both are eligible to be activated should they be ready.
Toronto had 2024-25 PWHL Defender of the Year Renata Fast miss the last two games with a lower-body injury and had Allie Munroe leave their last game and not return. It will be interesting to see whether either player is available for them on Saturday.
Previous Bell Centre games
December 10, 2016 – Montreal 1, Calgary 0 (Recap)
Attendance: 5,938
Winning goaltender: Charline Labonté
Losing goaltender: Emerance Maschmeyer
Goals: Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL)
November 11, 2017 – Kunlun Red Star 3, Montreal 1 (Recap)
Attendance: 5,187
Winning goaltender: Yuqing Wang
Losing goaltender: Emerance Maschmeyer
Goals: Erinn Noseworthy (MTL), Melanie Jue, Jessica Wong, Kelli Stack (KRS)
April 20, 2024 – Toronto 3, Montreal 2 (OT) (Recap)
Attendance: 21,105
Winning goaltender: Kristen Campbell
Losing goaltender: Ann-Renée Desbiens
Goals: Sarah Bujold, Erin Ambrose (MTL), Blayre Turnbull, Sarah Nurse (2) (TOR)
March 1, 2025 – Montreal 3, Boston 2 (OT) (Recap)
Attendance: 17,324
Winning goaltender: Ann-Renée Desbiens
Losing goaltender: Aerin Frankel
Goals: Kati Tabin (2), Laura Stacey (MTL), Amanda Pelkey, Sidney Morin (BOS)
Montreal lineup
| FORWARDS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11 ABBY ROQUE | 29 MARIE-PHILIP POULIN | 7 LAURA STACEY |
| 96 NATÁLIE MLÝNKOVÁ | 27 SHIANN DARKANGELO | 21 MAUREEN MURPHY |
| 17 DARA GREIG | 16 HAYLEY SCAMURRA | 88 SKYLAR IRVING |
| 4 MAYA LABAD | 13 ALEXANDRA LABELLE | 19 KAITLIN WILLOUGHBY |
| 28 CATHERINE DUBOIS | ||
| DEFENDERS | ||
| 61 NICOLE GOSLING | 23 ERIN AMBROSE | |
| 91 MAGGIE FLAHERTY | 9 KATI TABIN | |
| 22 JESSICA DIGIROLAMO | 44 AMANDA BOULIER | |
| GOALTENDERS | ||
| 35 ANN-RENÉE DESBIENS | ||
| 30 SANDRA ABSTREITER |
Extras: G 1 Megan Warrener, D 51 Kelly-Ann Nadeau, F 77 Jade Downie-Landry (LTIR, upper-body injury), F 25 Lina Ljungblom (LTIR, illness)
Toronto lineup
| FORWARDS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9 DARYL WATTS | 27 EMMA MALTAIS | 24 NATALIE SPOONER |
| 11 KIARA ZANON | 40 BLAYRE TURNBULL | 18 JESSE COMPHER |
| 22 MAGGIE CONNORS | 20 EMMA GENTRY | 42 CLAIRE DALTON |
| 19 SARA HJALMARSSON | 25 CLARA VAN WIEREN | 67 EMMA WOODS |
| 8 CLAIR DEGEORGE | ||
| DEFENDERS | ||
| 17 ELLA SHELTON | 6 KALI FLANAGAN | |
| 15 SAVANNAH HARMON | 10 HANNA BASKIN | |
| 2 JESS KONDAS | 71 ANNA KJELLBIN | |
| GOALTENDERS | ||
| 29 ELAINE CHULI | ||
| 1 RAYGAN KIRK |
Extras: G 91 Jessie McPherson, D 14 Renata Fast (day-to-day, lower body), D 12 Allie Munroe (day-to-day, lower body)
