Finally, there was a hockey playoff game in Montreal (well Laval) last night and the Place Bell looked packed with excited fans ready and willing to cheer on their team. Although there is a lot to say about this game, I will limit it to three takeaways or we will be here until the next game on Saturday. Yesterday's game ended 2-1 Boston in overtime.
It's Not Quantity, It's Quality
Montreal had a dominant first frame, the puck didn't leave the sticks and they got 12 shots to Boston's two. However, the more shots you shoot without scoring, the more confident the goalkeeper becomes. Aerin Frankel is still the best goalkeeper, she is the number 1 of Team USA but, if you boost her confidence, she becomes very good very quickly.
Last night, Montreal took 54 big shots on Frankel's net. Only one entered. Why? Because it's not about the number of shots you take, it's the quality of said shots. 100% of the time, shots aimed at the goalkeeper's chest will not go in. It is very easy for goalies to block the puck. So, not only do you have a chance to score, but you also have no chance to get a rebound.
In a league with six teams and only 18 goalkeepers, you can be sure that these women are the best in the game. Last night's battle featured the Team Canada starter vs. Team USA. Yes, you won't get many goals, but you won't get many rebounds if you don't make the goaltender move, reach, and work hard for his saves.
Even worse, if you take an insane amount of shots and nothing goes in, slowly but surely, the opposing goalie will get into the heads of your players. They will start thinking, “Oh my god, how am I going to beat him?” or “We're not hitting him tonight.” In both cases, those are destructive thoughts that can give the enemy a significant edge. When Laura Stacey found herself alone with Frankel when they broke up, she missed the net because she told herself she had to hit the right shot to beat the Boston goalkeeper. Last night, Mikyla Grant-Mentis took eight shots, Kati Tabin seven, and Stacey six.
Kudos to Frankel though, he played an almost stellar game and that's why Boston has a 1-0 lead in the series right now. Can he repeat that type of performance on Saturday? If he can, Montreal will be in big trouble.
Related: Know the 2024 PWHL Montreal Players
Stacey's game wasn't all bad though. Early in the second half, it was a hard shot that Frankel couldn't handle that put Montreal ahead when Kristin O'Neil grabbed the rebound.
These 2 Groups Do Not Love Each Other
If we were initially surprised by the state of PWHL hockey in January, we were just as shocked last night when we saw the body checks flying when the puck wasn't there. O'Neil may have had a target on his back the way Boston players wanted him. The Montreal forward is not very tall and not very big and everything in the white jersey was trying to take advantage of that.
O'Neil was caught a few times, but he got smart and kept his head down a bit to prepare for contact, which might have saved his life a time or two. As the game progresses, the referees call several penalties, and act like NHL refs, blowing their whistles in the playoffs. It would be refreshing to see the rules stay the same in the postseason, but I think that's too much to ask. Hopefully, this will not lead to more injuries as we foresee a lot of body.
All night, there were solid hits and not much snow to work with. At the beginning of the game, Gabrielle David was hit by Megan Keller and when she fell, she received a severe blow to the head. Keller was sent to the penalty box, but not Hilary Knight. Granted, Knight's song was an accident, but the incident set the tone for the rest of the night.
There's a Reason There's a Crease
Strikers have a special position in their crease, they cannot be disturbed when they are painted blue. If they get out of it though, they're fair game. Last night, Ann-Renée Desbiens was lucky enough to get a foul call when Kelly Babstock collided with her on her way out of her third period.
However, later on, the assistant who had a good talk with Boston head coach Courtney Kessel after making a call in the third frame, would not accept any interference claim from Montreal as Desbiens was out of his head at that time.
Ironically, Susanna Tapani scored the game-winning goal in the exact same way O'Neil opened the scoring in the second frame. Meghan Keller, Laura Stacey of Boston, launched a rocket into the sky. Just like Frankel couldn't control Stacey's shooting earlier, Desbiens couldn't handle Keller. It took a few Boston players to get the puck, but in the end, they found the goal and took a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2 of that series will be played again at Place Bell on Saturday with a 7:00 PM start time. Montreal better adjust some part of their strategy if they don't want to find themselves on the brink of elimination when they head to Boston for Game 3.
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