Laura Stacey scores in OT as Victoire hang on to beat Fleet

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 7:49 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

With 2:50 remaining successful the 3rd period, the Montreal Victoire had a 2-0 lead, were connected the powerfulness play, and appeared good connected their mode to a convincing Professional Women's Hockey League triumph astatine Place Bell connected Monday nighttime successful Laval, Que.

Then the hosts surrendered 2 goals successful 39 seconds to the resilient Boston Fleet, including a short-handed marker, and were looking astatine overtime with 2:07 remaining.

"We've learned a batch of invaluable lessons the past 2 games," said Montreal caput manager Kori Cheverie. "The players who were connected the crystal for the 2 [late] goals, they know, they consciousness it."

Forward Laura Stacey scored with 42.7 seconds remaining successful overtime to springiness the Victoire a 3-2 triumph successful beforehand of 8,812 fans.

It was Stacey's 11th extremity of the play and 4th game-winner arsenic Montreal (11-7-3-8) secured home-ice vantage successful the opening circular of the PWHL playoffs.

"I deliberation it was a corporate 'take a heavy breath,"' said Stacey. "A clump of the girls were similar `we got this, this is inactive our game.' Of people it sucks getting scored connected doubly erstwhile you're up 2-0 and you consciousness that triumph coming.

WATCH | Victoire decision Fleet to lock down home-ice advantage:

"That content successful each other, content successful the room, the trust, we've had it each twelvemonth agelong and we've known it and we've had that resilience but it takes moments similar that to truly recognize it, to truly ain it. That's what makes each the difference."

Montreal opened the scoring connected the powerfulness play erstwhile Jennifer Gardiner came disconnected the seat to sound successful the rebound aft Abby Boreen's changeable rang disconnected the post. The extremity came connected the Victoire's 3rd powerfulness play of the game.

It was Gardiner's 5th extremity of the season, and the archetypal PWHL extremity allowed by Boston goaltender Klara Peslarova, making her 2nd commencement and 3rd appearance. Boston (9-6-5-9) would person clinched a playoff spot with a win, but volition person to hold to punch their ticket. Peslarova made 33 saves successful the loss.

Montreal's powerfulness play struck again with 15:12 remaining successful the 3rd play erstwhile Catherine Dubois tipped a Maureen Murphy changeable for her 5th extremity of the season.

Boston chopped the pb to 2-1 with 2:46 remaining with a short-handed extremity by Hannah Brandt. The extremity was reviewed to find whether it went successful the nett earlier it was dislodged. It was her 3rd extremity of the season.

Hannah Bilka tied the crippled conscionable 39 seconds aboriginal erstwhile she fired a changeable past Ann-Renee Desbiens with 2:07 near successful regularisation time.

"There was a batch of ownership with and among the smaller groups that we talked to," Cheverie said. "When you person that bargain in, erstwhile they person a mission, erstwhile they person a codification they privation to follow, it's casual to refocus connected what their program is.

"Today was almighty for our radical and it did let america to refocus successful that infinitesimal wherever it could person ended up the different way."

"The mode the squad regrouped, it's not an casual happening to bash aft being scored connected doubly going into OT," said Stacey. "We pulled it together, we recovered a way. Good teams find a way.

"That's precisely what we did present tonight, and we request to physique from it, turn from it, and usage it arsenic information not lone for the adjacent crippled but present that we're connected location crystal successful the playoffs, too."

Working overtime

Overtime is thing caller betwixt these 2 teams. Counting playoffs, 10 of the 13 games betwixt the 2 rivals — and 8 of the past 9 — person needed to beryllium solved aft regularisation time.

"We ne'er look to person an casual crippled here," said Fleet caput manager Courtney Kessel. "Another overtime."

Depth scoring

One of the reasons for Montreal's second-half descent is the deficiency of scoring from players not connected their apical line. On Monday, the 2nd power-play portion was connected the crystal for some goals, adjacent though the archetypal 1 was scored by Gardiner, who plays connected the apical unit, aft she came connected precocious aft a enactment change.

"Playoffs are won with your 3rd and 4th lines and your extent scoring, and the unsung heroes. I deliberation we person a batch of those successful the making," said Cheverie.

"Our 2nd power-play portion was unthinkable tonight, made a immense difference," said Stacey. "If we person each the players playing the close way, the goals volition travel and I deliberation that's what we're starting to see."

Desbiens wins, again

The triumph was netminder Desbiens' league-leading 14th of the season. Desbiens was making her archetypal league commencement since getting injured connected March 18 successful Boston. She returned to play astatine the women's satellite title tournament, playing 4 games for Canada. She continues to pb each qualified goaltenders successful some goals-against mean and prevention percentage. Desbiens made 27 saves Monday.