At the IIHF break, the Montréal Victoire are the only team who are safe as it pertains to qualifying for the PWHL playoffs. Of course, the Victoire are still playing to secure home ice advantage throughout the league’s final gauntlet, but with an 8-point lead on the 3^rd place Boston Fleet, it is almost assured that Montréal will at least repeat last year’s feat of being a host team in the first round. Montréal’s success has come from a strong forward group and elite goaltending enroute to an 11-6-3-7 record through 27 games.

               In goal, Ann-Renée Desbiens has been exceptional with a league-leading 11.32 GSAA through 19 appearances and has been a cornerstone of the Victoire’s success this season. Elaine Chuli has also been up to the task in her absence with a 0.93 GSAA this season, which despite being down from her heroics last season (9.01) is enough to keep the Victoire afloat while Desbiens recovers from a lower body injury she suffered against Boston. Montréal’s forward group has been exceptional again this season with Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey posting 23 and 20 points respectively to keep them among the best in the league, while rookies Jennifer Gardiner and Abigail Boreen have both posted a PPG pace above the league average, giving the Victoire respectable scoring depth up front. Meanwhile, Erin Ambrose has maintained her impact as one of the world’s best two-way defenders with her 0.46 PPG pace this season. Additionally, Cayla Barnes’ 0.48 PPG has made a substantial impact for the Victoire as it has allowed Ambrose to play more of a defensive game in 2024-2025 than she did in 2023-2024 which has yielded tremendous results for the team in their own end, as their 60 GA is the lowest in the league.

               The Victoire do have a challenging last three games of the season with Ottawa, Boston, and New York on the docket, as Ottawa and Boston are effectively in playoff mode as they claw and scratch to qualify for the postseason. Additionally, New York is a good challenge to end the year on, as they will likely need to defeat Montréal to secure the first overall pick due to the PWHL’s golden points system. After falling to the Sirens in the past two contests, this game will also serve as a good measuring stick for the Victoire as they make another push to win the Walter Cup.