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LAVAL, QC – Within the fourth and remaining matchup of the season sequence, Nicole Gosling secured the Montréal Victoire a 3-2 extra time win towards the Boston Fleet earlier than a sold-out crowd of 10,172 at Place Bell Friday night time, bringing PWHL attendance over a million followers for the primary time in a single season in league historical past. The rookie defender iced the sport on the ability play 38 seconds into the additional body, strolling up in direction of the blue line and ripping a shot down the center for the sport winner. Jade Downie-Landry opened the scoring for the Victoire, tapping the puck in with a one-handed attain following an offensive zone turnover at 2:59 of the primary interval.
Kaitlin Willoughby adopted three minutes later, securing a rebound, then pushing it to her forehand earlier than discovering the again of the web. Jessie Eldridge lower the Fleet’s deficit to at least one with a deflection that went 5 gap at 18:51 of the second interval. Daniela Pejšová tied it up for Boston, ripping the puck from the weak facet at 9:41 of the third interval. Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 26 of 28 photographs on objective for her 18th win of the season, whereas Abbey Levy turned away 28 of 31 within the loss. With the 2 factors earned in tonight’s win, Montréal has secured dwelling ice benefit within the semifinal spherical of the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs, whereas Boston’s one level strikes them inside one in every of clinching the identical as they maintain a nine-point lead over third-place Minnesota. The Victoire can clinch first place with 4 factors (together with one regulation win) of their remaining two highway video games towards Vancouver on Tuesday and Seattle subsequent Saturday. The Fleet stay in rivalry for first place and can end their season with dwelling video games towards Ottawa Wednesday and New York on Saturday.
QUOTES
Montréal Head Coach Kori Cheverie on the staff dropping a two-goal lead: “We all know what to anticipate towards a staff like Boston. You rating early, you’d love to carry the lead for the entire recreation, however towards staff like that, it’s going to be tight checking. We had alternatives to really go forward three objectives, and that might have been nice at the moment, however I assumed our group battled by way of. Despite the fact that it felt like at occasions it wasn’t our greatest moments, I nonetheless thought our group battled by way of.”
Victoire ahead Kaitlin Willoughby on the staff popping out robust: “I believe it took everybody within the locker room tonight. We knew that Boston was going to convey every little thing they’d, and it was a really bodily recreation. Each time we stepped on the ice, we wished to convey our greatest, and I believe all of us had that mindset. It took the entire staff tonight, and I assumed we did that basically good. Despite the fact that there have been some ebbs and flows within the recreation the place they’d the momentum, we simply stored pushing, and we simply believed in ourselves.”
Boston Head Coach Kris Sparre on Abbey Levy’s efficiency within the second interval: “Abbey did an ideal job. She hung in there as they’d some actually massive alternatives within the second interval. It was good to see us claw again within the recreation.”
Fleet goaltender Abbey Levy on her potential to regroup after the primary interval: “You simply need to be a goalie, it’s going to occur. You’ll be able to have unhealthy nights to begin however it’s a must to bounce again, let it go, and transfer ahead. Now we have a really tight-knit group and something they are saying to me is simply optimistic reinforcement. They’re wonderful and raise me up. They’re nice people and have been so useful.”
NOTABLES
Tonight’s sold-out crowd of 10,172 put the PWHL over a million followers in a single season for the primary time in league historical past, with 1,006,928 in 109 video games. The milestone was reached in 46 fewer video games than the league’s first million followers throughout its first two seasons.
Montréal is the primary staff in PWHL historical past to achieve 60 factors in a season. They set a staff file with their seventh straight win, outscoring opponents 20-4 in the course of the streak, and prolonged their PWHL file level streak to 16 video games (11-3-2-0) since Jan. 21.
The Victoire completed the house portion of their 2025-26 common season with 11 wins in 12 video games at Place Bell (9-2-1-0), with their solely loss towards the Fleet in extra time on Mar. 15. Additionally they scored three or extra objectives in all however one recreation at their major dwelling venue. Counting video games on the Bell Centre and Vidéotron Centre, the Victoire earned 35 of a doable 42 factors in 14 video games performed in Québec, probably the most factors by any PWHL staff in a province or state in league historical past.
The Fleet completed the highway portion of their 2025-26 common season with a 7-4-3-3 file, together with two Takeover Tour video games as the house staff in Detroit and Halifax. Their 32 factors in 17 video games away from Massachusetts are probably the most by any PWHL staff exterior their state or province in league historical past.
Boston and Montréal tied the season sequence 6-6 in factors, with the Fleet outscoring the Victoire 8-7 throughout 4 video games. Montréal leads the all-time sequence 23-19 in factors. 9 of their 14 all-time video games have gone to additional time, probably the most in any PWHL matchup in league historical past.
Tonight marked the second recreation of the season sequence that required an additional body, each of which got here at Place Bell. Boston gained the primary extra time matchup in a 4-3 comeback win. Montréal earned their third win in extra time (3-2), whereas the Fleet have been handed their first loss in extra time this season (2-1).
The Fleet performed their fifteenth one-goal recreation of the season (4-5-3-3), surpassing Toronto for many within the PWHL. Their staff excessive stays 16, recorded in the course of the inaugural season, after they went 6-4-3-3. Boston and Montréal have now performed 11 one-goal video games of 14 matchups within the all-time sequence.
Montréal scored their first opening-period objective since final internet hosting Boston at Place Bell on Mar. 15, 9 video games in the past. The Victoire now have 20 objectives within the first body, ranked third behind the Frost (30) and the Fleet (22).
The Victoire have held the lead by way of two intervals in 16 of their 27 video games this season, with 15 wins and only one loss in such situations.
Nicole Gosling prolonged her level streak to 4 consecutive video games, the longest of her rookie marketing campaign, along with her first profession power-play objective and extra time winner. She reached 15 factors on the season (3G, 12A), simply the fourth rookie and fifth defender to take action. The previous Clarkson Golden Knight completed the season sequence with one objective and three assists, tied for the staff lead. She can be the eleventh completely different Victoire skater to attain on the participant benefit this season, tied with Minnesota (2024-25) for probably the most in a single season.
Jade Downie-Landry notched her second objective and level of the season after 11-straight video games and not using a tally, and is the twentieth member of the Victoire to file a number of factors this season. The veteran ahead has 21 factors in 75 profession video games (14G, 7A), 19 of which she recorded as a member of the Sirens throughout the final two seasons.
Kaitlin Willoughby has now scored three objectives in her final 4 video games, after going 74 common season video games with out. The third-year ahead’s six factors in 28 video games this season tripled her two factors (2A) in her first 50 profession video games with Toronto and Montréal.
Jessie Eldridge’s objective has made her first level streak since becoming a member of the Fleet (3G, 1A), and her sixth objective in as many video games. She reached 20 factors (13G, 7A) in consecutive seasons after recording a career-high of 24 in 30 video games with New York (9G, 15A). The veteran ahead is one objective shy of 30 for her profession, a milestone achieved by solely two gamers (Marie-Philip Poulin and Daryl Watts).
Daniela Pejšová recorded her second profession objective for her fourth level of the season, reaching a brand new career-high that eclipsed her three factors (3A) in 28 video games as a rookie final season. The Czech defender has earned three of her factors in her final 10 video games following a single level in her first 15. All three of her factors earlier than tonight got here in video games towards Seattle.
Ann-Renée Desbiens turned the primary PWHL goaltender to achieve 40 profession wins, doing so in her 61st look. She has only one loss at Place Bell this season, in extra time towards Boston on Mar. 15, and has posted six-straight wins for the second time in her profession. The Montréal netminder moved again right into a tie with Aerin Frankel, who remained in Boston for tonight’s recreation for relaxation and upkeep, for the league lead with 18 wins in 24 video games this season.
Laura Stacey matched the longest level streak within the league this season, and of her profession, registering a degree in her sixth consecutive recreation (2G, 5A). She tied her career-high for factors with 22, transferring into fourth within the PWHL, with 15 of these factors tallied in Place Bell (5G, 10A). Tonight was simply the second time the Victoire alternate captain didn’t have a shot on objective in her profession (Feb. 18, 2024), remaining one shy of tying her personal single-season file of 112.
Abby Roque has assists in her final two dwelling video games, bringing her season complete to 14 helpers. She recorded her twenty first level in 27 video games, transferring right into a seven-way tie for fifth within the league. After a three-game pointless drought beginning on Mar. 25, the right-handed ahead has three factors in her final 4 video games for Montréal and completed the season sequence with 4 factors (1G, 3A). She led all skaters tonight with six photographs on objective, matching her profession excessive reached thrice together with Mar. 15 towards Boston.
Lina Ljungblom is using a career-high three-game level streak, with half of her season’s eight factors added throughout that span (1G, 3A). She beforehand tallied her first 4 factors within the first 13 video games of the season. The help marked her fourth this season, good for a brand new profession excessive in 10 fewer video games than her rookie marketing campaign.
Alexandra Labelle set a brand new career-high along with her fourth help of the season in her twenty sixth recreation, eclipsing her three assists in 19 video games throughout 2024-25, and has additionally matched her career-high of 4 factors. The Québec native has two factors in her final three video games after going seven video games with out.
Megan Keller set a brand new career-high in assists along with her twelfth of the season and led all skaters within the head-to-head sequence with 5 factors (2G, 3A). The Fleet captain is one level shy of 20 for the season and ranks first in all-time factors by a defender with 47 in 82 profession video games.
Haley Winn’s 14th help brings her rookie complete to 18 factors, second amongst league defenders behind Keller’s 19. The Boston teammates are inside attain of 20 factors on the season, a mark which solely three PWHL blue liners have eclipsed in league historical past: Sophie Jaques (22 in 2024-25), Renata Quick (22 in 2024-25), and Ella Shelton (21 in 2024). Her assists complete is 2 away from the rookie file of 16 set by Sarah Fillier final season.
Liz Schepers tallied her second help and seventh level in 27 video games this season, good for a brand new career-high level complete, after recording six factors (2G, 4A) in the identical variety of video games with Minnesota in 2024-25.
Shay Maloney has factors in consecutive highway video games for Boston, with an help in every matchup. Her secondary helper made for her first level towards Montréal in 10 profession matchups. The 2024 PWHL draft choose is 2 shy of her rookie output of 9 factors in 30 video games.
Abbey Levy has made three begins for the primary time for the reason that inaugural season with New York, making greater than 25 saves and posting a save share of .903 or larger in every look as a member of the Fleet.
Laura Kluge was left off the Fleet lineup for a second consecutive recreation resulting from an upper-body harm, lacking her third recreation of the season for Boston.
THREE STARS
1. Nicole Gosling (MTL) OT GWG2. Kaitlin Willoughby (MTL) 1G3. Daniela Pejšová (BOS) 1G
STANDINGS
Montréal: 60 PTS (16-5-2-5) – 1st PlaceBoston: 58 PTS (15-5-3-5) – 2nd Place
UPCOMING SCHEDULES
Montréal: Tuesday, Apr. 21 at Vancouver at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PTBoston: Wednesday, Apr. 22 vs. Ottawa at 7 p.m. ET
CLICK HERE FOR STATS
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