Montréal Victoire Triumphs Over New York Sirens
In a gripping matchup on Thursday night, the Montréal Victoire overwhelmed the New York Sirens, claiming a decisive 4-1 victory in their first game back in the Premier Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) following the Olympic break. Key contributions came from Lina Ljungblom, who recorded her inaugural points of the season, and goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens, who made an impressive 34 saves, ensuring the Victoire’s solid playoff position.
Scoring Frenzy
The scoring frenzy began just five minutes into the contest when Dara Greig found the net. Ljungblom and Natálie Mlýnková played pivotal roles in the setup. The lead was quickly doubled when Jade Downie-Landry scored only 47 seconds later, further establishing Montréal’s early dominance. With 9:53 remaining in the first period, Skylar Irving extended the Victoire’s lead to 3-0 with an unassisted strike, marking three goals on just four shots and catapulting the team into a tie with the Boston Fleet for the league’s top spot, each amassing 30 points.
Sirens’ Response
Despite the Victoire’s strong start, their momentum experienced a brief setback when a goal was disallowed due to goalie interference. Recognizing the shift in control, the Sirens promptly replaced goalie Kayle Osborne with Callie Shanahan at the start of the second period. The Sirens managed to break their scoring silence a few minutes later, with Casey O’Brien finding the back of the net on a power play, assisted by both Maja Nylen Persson and Sarah Fillier, who notched her tenth assist of the season, placing her second in the league rankings.
Final Period and Conclusion
Not to be outdone, the Victoire responded early in the third period with a power-play goal, when a puck deflected off Ljungblom’s stick and over Shanahan, marking her first goal of the year and solidifying their lead at 4-1. Desbiens maintained her stellar performance, concluding the match with a .971 save percentage, successfully defending all but one of 35 shots aimed her way. Notably, the Victoire played without Erin Ambrose and Marie-Philip Poulin, both sidelined due to injuries, yet they still secured a commanding victory against the Sirens, currently sitting in fourth place with a record of 7-0-3-7.
