Ann-Renée Desbiens is not from Quebec City, but it is the city where she went to high school and played minor hockey. She had 120 friends and family at Sunday’s game, and left it with a 26-save shutout and more importantly a big three points.
“From a coach’s standpoint, it felt like nothing was getting by her tonight,” said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie.
The Montreal Victoire defeated the Vancouver Goldeneyes 1-0 at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City. Nicole Gosling scored her first career PWHL goal by throwing it towards the net and having it deflect off of Vancouver defender Sydney Bard and past Emerance Maschmeyer. The goal came at 12:17 of the second period, and would be the game’s only goal.
Abby Roque was assessed a five-minute major for a match penalty for a check to the head of Abby Boreen in the third period. During the power play, Boreen would return but get penalized for high sticking, negating most of the remaining 2:13 of Roque’s penalty.
The Montreal forward depth looked as good as it has all season, with all four lines generating scoring chances, but not being able to have it show up on the scoreboard. Gosling’s goal occurred with the top line on the ice, and it is now five games and nine straight goals scored with the top line on the ice.
Cheverie pointed out after the game that this is the first time this season (in their 10th game) where they have the 20 players on the ice that they expected to have at the start of training camp. Last game, Lina Ljungblom returned, but Erin Ambrose missed the game.
What that means now, is that the team is still trying to figure out what combinations work and don’t work. The good news is that almost every Montreal forward does the little things that lead to goals. The chances are starting to come more often and the scoring is just around the corner.
“This group is a big believer in details and to keep going,” said captain Marie-Philip Poulin. “Everybody’s doing the right thing. Hockey, there’s bounces that go in, sometimes it doesn’t go in, but i see the work that’s been done in practices day in and day out, It’s going to come, it’s just a matter of time.”
Montreal leads the PWHL in expected goal share at 5v5 this season per one source. Cheverie has pointed out several times over the last five games that they have generated the most chances in consecutive games than she has seen over the last three seasons. That seems to coincide with the available public metrics, where Montreal was fifth (out of six teams) in Season One, and third last year.
“I would much prefer as a coach to lose some games playing the right way early on in the season than maybe not playing the right way, getting the bounces, winning the games that we shouldn’t,” Cheverie said. “Then when you get to the playoffs, you’re not battle ready or battle tested and we’re certainly going through that now. We’re learning a lot about resiliency, grit, perseverance, what it takes to win a hockey game, every single game is a playoff game.”
Cheverie said that it felt that there were more than points in the standings on the line, she felt it seemed like both teams were as desperate as they would get when the result meant a game in a playoff series.
Both teams had 11 shots in the first period, but both Canadian Olympic goaltenders stood tall, keeping the score at 0-0. Maschmeyer had the bigger saves, including one on Dara Greig, who picked off a pass in the offensive zone and had a chance all alone. Desbiens also made some big saves, including on a power play in the opening minutes of the game.
Desbiens made eight saves in the second period, including a couple on Hannah Miller with just over five minutes remaining.
Montreal is off on Monday before facing a surging Ottawa Charge team on Tuesday night at Place Bell. The Charge have won six straight games, a franchise record.
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