For Thursday night’s showdown (with three critical points on the line) between the Seattle Torrent and the Montréal Victoire, Hannah Murphy and Ann-Renée Desbiens were the chosen netminders. With Marie-Philip Poulin out of the lineup with an injury, the Victoire would need to rely on Laura Stacey, Abby Roque, and the rest of their depth forwards to fill the void. With a win, the Victoire could jump the Boston Fleet for 2nd place with 39 points, while the Torrent would inch closer to the last playoff spot by (Still 12 points Out).

Seattle’s Cayla Barnes registered the game’s shot first nearly three minutes in. For the next several minutes Montréal manufactured several chances with sustained offensive zone time. The pressure led to a powerplay opportunity on a tripping call on Anna Wilgren. Seattle’s penalty kill held Montréal’s to only one shot on the advantage. A few minutes later, Stacey and Roque fired off back-to-back shots, but Murphy stood tall. Just past the half way point of the period, both teams each tallied several shots on goal and Seattle’s powerplay got an opportunity, but the best scoring chance in the sequence was created by Montréal’s Dara Greig. After the powerplay expired, Wilgren fired a ripper of a shot that beat Desbiens, but it rang out off the post. The Torrent ended the period with two last scoring chances utilizing heavy front net traffic, yet they couldn’t break the stalemate. 

The Torrent were the hotter team at the start of the 2nd period. Wilgren had the best chance out of several, but Desbiens once again turned them away. Montréal counterattacked. Maureen Murphy utilized the center of the ice to generate a quality chance. The puck cycled to the point where it was shot through traffic; however, it wasn’t able to strike the net. Montréal sustained the pressure. Roque fired two shots with the second rebound bouncing to Stacey. She wrapped the puck around the net, and slid it to Catherine Dubois who buried her first goal of the season. Over the next few minutes, both teams flexed their speed trying to create odd woman rushes through the neutral zone. Montréal generated the best scoring chances again, stemming from their cycle below the goal line. The pace of the game slowed as a result of several Montréal icings. Snodgrass had a 2-on-1 opportunity, but the Victoire’s defense broke it up and converted it into a scoring chance for Shiann Darkangelo. Seattle’s Jenna Buglioni demonstrated her speed. She tore through the neutral zone, beating two defenders to the net, but Desbiens stopped both shots. At the 11:45 mark, Greig was called for holding Wilgren. This powerplay saw more decisive puck movement and front net presence; however, it was ended prematurely off of a Stacey jailbreak goal. Stacey stripped Aneta Tejralová, dangled Murphy out of position, and roofed it for her 2nd jailbreak goal of the season. Lexie Adzija rallied back for Seattle with a great individual effort. She tore down the left side of the attacking zone, but she couldn’t beat Desbiens. After a tv time out, Greig took a hooking penalty in the neutral zone. Prior to the penalty, Maureen Murphy was slow to get up after a check from newly acquired Torrent forward, Theresa Schafzahl. Once again, Montreal’s penalty kill showed why they’re the best in the league. They got in lanes and blocked shots that manufactured two chances for Roque. After the penalty kill, Seattle was hemmed down in their zone again, leading to a tripping penalty on Danielle Serdachny. 

Starting the third on the powerplay, The Victoire released a few shots on net and maintained offensive zone time. The Torrent sustained rare offensive zone time. About eight minutes in, WIlgren danced with the puck towards the net, but was stonewalled yet again. Shortly after, Schafzahl won a board battle and found Serdachny in the slot. She deked and froze Desbiens, then passed it backdoor to Alex Carpenter. The lead Montréal lead was halved. The Victoire quickly struck back when a Kati Tabin point shot that was redirected by Skylar Irving to restore the two goal lead. Roque had another scoring chance shortly afterwards, but Murphy kept it a two goal game. A little over halfway through the period Seattle went to the power play for the fourth time. They created three solid scoring opportunities, but cut into the deficit. As the penalty expired, Kaitlin Willoughby was sent on a breakaway as she left the box, but she struck the post. Seattle had several chances with the extra attacker, but Stacey iced the game with an empty netter to secure Montréal’s 4-1 victory.

The Victoire picked up their first win against the Seattle Torrent and moved into 2nd place with one more regulation win than the Boston Fleet. The top line was dominant, Stacey scored two goals and three total points. Roque and Dubois each had a point and created opportunities throughout the game. The Victoire also got depth scoring from Irving and Tabin. For Seattle, this was a continuation of recent results. Wilgren, Serdachny, and Carpenter impacted the game consistently but weren’t able to convert more than their opposition. Without Hilary Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Mikyla Grant-Mentis available, the lack of depth scoring continued to plague them. Based on a shot map, this game was closer than the final score with Montréal’s 2.9 xGF narrowly edging out Seattle’s 2.7. Desbiens and the Victoire’s elite finishing was ultimately the difference maker on the night.

• Damien