Toronto puts its 10-game winning streak on the line in fourth battle with Boston
TORONTO, ON (March 20, 2024) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) schedule begins this week with a pair of Wednesday night games, including Toronto and Boston, at Mattamy Athletic Centre at 7:00 p.m. ET.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans in Canada can watch the game live on TSN3, TSN.ca, and the TSN app. United States viewers can watch on NESN or stream on the NESN 360 app by logging in with their TV provider or purchasing a direct subscription. The game is also available on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, and will stream on the Women’s Sports Network and on the league’s YouTube channel. Daniella Ponticelli will have the play-by-play call alongside analyst Becky Kellar and with Julia Tocheri reporting rinkside.
MENTAL HEALTH AND ACCESSIBILITY IN SPORT AWARENESS NIGHT
Tonight’s game at Mattamy Athletic Centre will have a number of activations in support of mental health awareness and accessibility in sport. Players will arrive to the rink wearing purple DIFD t-shirts for the organization Do it for Daron – a youth driven movement that creates an open dialogue about youth mental health. A video during the game will highlight Rebecca Leslie and her connection to DIFD along with a message from Daron’s father, Luke Richardson, head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Organizations representing accessibility in sport that will be in attendance and recognized include Special Olympics Canada, the Canadian Blind Hockey Association, and Wheelchair Basketball Canada. A video from Special Olympics Canada Floor Hockey will be played and athlete Jessica Porter and CEO Gail Hamamoto will be interviewed. Canadian Blind Hockey will be welcomed in a video by ambassador Natalie Spooner, and the organization will be showcased during a second intermission scrimmage and interview with trailblazer Laura Mark. Wheelchair Basketball Canada athlete Tamara Steeves will be interviewed in-venue, and PWHL Toronto will wish the team luck in a video ahead of their upcoming tournament in Ottawa and 2024 Paris Paralympic qualifiers in Japan.
SETTING THE STAGE
Tonight is game number 18 of 24 for both teams wrapping up the third quarter of their inaugural season schedule. Toronto (9-3-0-5) is currently tied with Minnesota atop the standings with 33 points, three ahead of Montréal, and Boston (4-4-2-7) holds the fourth and final playoff spot with 22 points, one ahead of Ottawa and five up on New York. Toronto has won a league-high 10 straight games with a streak that already includes two wins over Boston. They won the last encounter at Mattamy Athletic Center by a 3-1 score on Mar. 6, and since then have defeated Montréal twice with a 3-0 victory at home on Mar. 8, and most recently a 2-1 triumph in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Boston also enters the action having won their PWHL Takeover Weekend game in Detroit with a 2-1 shootout decision against Ottawa. It was the team’s second two-point victory in three games, also edging New York 3-2 in overtime at home on Mar. 10. Toronto’s winning streak has turned them into one of the league’s best teams on home ice with six straight victories and 17 points in nine games. Their last loss at home was against Boston on Jan. 17. Boston opened the season with four straight road wins but have lost their last three, not including Saturday’s neutral site contest. Keep an eye on whoever scores first, with Boston a perfect six-for-six when opening the scoring, meanwhile Toronto has won 10 of the 11 games they’ve scored first. The teams will meet once more at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell on Apr. 18.
THE SEASON SERIES SO FAR
Toronto leads the season series against Boston 6-3 in points with all three games settled in regulation. Toronto emerged victorious two weeks ago at Mattamy Athletic Centre in a 3-1 win. It was the first time the team scored twice in the first period, with Allie Munroe’s first and Natalie Spooner’s 12th of the season. Maggie Connors extended the lead to 3-0 with her third goal of the season in the middle frame, and Boston got one late in the third period when Jess Healey recorded her first of the year. Kristen Campbell stopped 22 of 23 shots in the win and has played in all three games of the season series. Aerin Frankel got the last start for Boston but was pulled after two periods having stopped 15 of 18. Emma Söderberg started the first two games and stopped 30 of 32 and 13 of 17, followed by all 11 of her third period shots in game three relief. The road teams won the first two games of the series with Boston skating to a 3-2 victory at Mattamy Athletic Centre on Jan. 17, and Toronto winning 5-3 at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell on Feb. 14. Toronto won that game despite being outshot 35-18. Spooner leads the season series with four goals and one assist. Taylor Girard (1G 2A), Megan Keller (1G 2A), and Sarah Nurse (1G 2A) have all produced three points head-to-head, as have Loren Gabel (2G 1A), Alina Müller (3A), and Emma Maltais (3A), with the latter three contributing all their offense in single games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull is tied for the league’s longest point streak of the season at six games. Her six points in that span have brought her into a four-way tie for fourth in team scoring with eight points, including two goals and six assists. Hannah Miller (6G 2A) also has eight points and has scored in back-to-back games. Natalie Spooner has climbed into a tie for second in league scoring with 17 points, including a league-high 12 goals and five assists in 17 games. She’s currently riding a four-game point streak with two goals and four assists. Sarah Nurse (4G 8A) is second in team scoring with 12 points and just had her four-game point streak come to an end after scoring twice with four assists in that stretch. Emma Maltais (3G 8A) is third in team scoring with 11 points. Kali Flanagan (3G 1A) was named PWHL Third Star of the Week after a two-point performance in Pittsburgh, and Erica Howe will make her first home start of the season. Boston’s Hilary Knight also contributed heavily to her team’s PWHL Takeover Weekend win in Detroit with a goal and the shootout winner. The captain has four goals and two assists on the season. Alina Müller (2G 10A) leads the team in scoring with 12 points, followed by Megan Keller (3G 8A) with 11 points which ranks second among all defenders. Jamie Lee Rattray (2G 7A) has nine points, and the team’s two newest players both have eight points including Lexie Adzija (5G 3A) and Susanna Tapani (3G 5A). Loren Gabel (4G 3A) is next in line with seven points but will tonight’s game with an upper body injury.
ADZIJA MAKES BOSTON DEBUT
Boston was busy on trade deadline day acquiring forward Lexie Adzija from Ottawa in exchange for former Toronto Six captain Shiann Darkangelo. Boston also acquired the rights to Caitrin Lonergan and signed her to a Reserve Player contract ahead of yesterday’s roster freeze. Adzija began her professional career with a five-game point streak that included two points against Toronto. The 2023 Quinnipiac University graduate reunites with former Bobcats teammate Taylor Girard having played together from 2019-21. Tonight, she’ll centre a line entirely comprised of 2023 collegiate grads with Theresa Schafzahl on her left and Sophie Shirley on her right.
FOLLOWING THE FROZEN FOUR AND PATTY KAZMAIER
The 2024 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four field is set with future stars of the PWHL competing in the national semifinals to be played at Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, NH, on Friday, March 22. No. 1-ranked Ohio State will take on No. 4 Clarkson at 4:00 p.m. ET, followed by No. 2 Wisconsin against No. 3 Colgate at 7:30 p.m. ET. The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. ET. A number of alumnae representing the four competing programs are on PWHL Boston and Toronto rosters. Former Buckeyes include Emma Maltais (TOR) and Natalie Spooner (TOR), former Badgers include Kristen Campbell (TOR), Samantha Cogan (TOR), Jesse Compher (TOR), Hilary Knight (BOS), Cami Kronish (BOS), Sarah Nurse (TOR), Sophie Shirley (BOS), and Blayre Turnbull (TOR), and former Golden Knights include Renata Fast (TOR), Loren Gabel (BOS), Erica Howe (TOR), Emma Keenan (TOR), Caitrin Lonergan (BOS), and Jamie Lee Rattray (BOS). Past Frozen Four Most Outstanding Players include Boston’s Hannah Brandt (Minnesota, 2015), Campbell (2019), Knight (2011), Kronish (2023), and Rattray (2014). The winner of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which goes to the top player in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey, will be announced on Saturday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET. Past recipients of the award include Gabel (Clarkson, 2019), Rattray (Clarkson, 2014), and Boston’s Aerin Frankel (Northeastern, 2021).
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I believe in creating and sustaining inclusive, respectful environments – psychologically and physically safe environments in which everyone can thrive and know they matter and belong. Tonight’s game is an opportunity to do just that! It is especially special to be playing in a game honouring my good friend Daron and an organization that is close to my heart.” – Rebecca Leslie, Toronto
“We expect a very tough game against Boston. They are coming off a shootout win over Ottawa and everyone is in a battle for playoff spots. Erica Howe has done a great job for us this year and is deserving of another start. We expect our group to play hard in front of her and give her a little time to settle in. We are excited to play in front of our amazing fans.” – Troy Ryan, Toronto
“We’re feeling good. We’re not focused on their streak, rather we’re focused on getting points because that’s what matters a lot to us right now. We’re feeling good, excited to get back on the ice.” – Hannah Brandt, Boston
“I think we’re feeling good. We just need to focus on our play and not worry about the team we’re playing against. It’s important to stay focused on our systems and our goals here…She (Lexie Adzija) drove up from Ottawa last night, so I think she’s ready to get going and we’re excited to have her. Sometimes when you don’t have time to think about it and you kind of just jump in, you play a bit better.” – Courtney Kessel, Boston
QUICK HITS
Toronto (+10) is second in goal differential and Boston (-8) is tied for fifth…Toronto (2.65) is first in goals-per-game average and Boston (2.06) ranks sixth…Toronto (2.06) allows the second fewest goals-per-game and Boston (2.53) allows the third most on average…Boston has won all six games in which they have scored the first goal, Toronto has won 10 of the 11 games where they have scored first…Both teams have scored their most goals in the third period with 17 for Toronto and 13 for Boston…Toronto has won five of its six one-goal games, Boston has won six of its nine…Toronto (+56) is second in shot differential and Boston (+4) ranks fourth…Toronto (29.0) is third in shots-per-game average and Boston (28.18) ranks fourth…Toronto (25.65) allows the fewest shots-per-game and Boston (27.82) allows the third fewest on average…Toronto leads the league by outshooting its opponents in 12 games, while Boston has outshot its opponents six times…Toronto (6.59) is third in penalty minutes per game and Boston (5.88) ranks fourth…Toronto (5/46) is third in powerplay efficiency at 10.9%…Boston (2/40) ranks sixth on the PP at 5.0%…Toronto (47/49) is first in penalty kill efficiency at 95.9%…Boston (39/44) ranks third on the PK at 88.6%…Natalie Spooner (TOR) leads the league with 12 goals…Alina Müller (BOS) is in a three-way tie for the league-lead with 10 assists…Megan Keller (BOS) is second in scoring among defenders with 11 points…Spooner leads the league with four powerplay goals…Emma Maltais (TOR) leads the league with two shorthanded goals…Taylor Girard (BOS) is tied for the league-lead with two shorthanded points…Susanna Tapani (BOS) is tied for the league-lead with a plus-11 rating…Spooner leads Toronto with 65 shots on goal…Hilary Knight leads Boston with 52 shots…Alexa Vasko (54/106) leads Toronto with a face-off percentage of 50.9%…Blayre Turnbull (42.2%) leads the team with 244 draws…Hannah Brandt (139/256) leads Boston in face-offs and with a win-rate of 54.3%…Erica Howe (TOR) is making her second start of the season and in three appearances has a 2.44 goals-against-average and a .882 save percentage…Emma Söderberg (BOS) has won three of her five starts with a 2.96 GAA and .880 SV%…Nicole Kosta (BOS) will play in her fourth game of the season and first of a 10-Day contract.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
TORONTO:
Maltais | Turnbull | Connors
Miller | Nurse | Spooner
Cogan | Compher | Bach
Howard | Vasko | Leslie
Willoughby
Larocque | Fast
Munroe | Flanagan
Rougeau | Knowles
Howe | Campbell
Scratches: Jackson, Poulin-Labelle
BOSTON:
Müller | Tapani | Kosta
Rattray | Brandt | Knight
Schafzahl | Adzija | Shirley
Girard | Marvin | Pelkey
Wenczkowski
Keller | Fratkin
Brown | Morin
DiGirolamo | Healey
Söderberg | Frankel
Scratches: Cook, Gabel, Kronish
OFFICIALS:
Referees: Andrew Bell (Dowington, PA) and Alexandra Clarke (Griffith, SK).
Linespersons: Adam Burnett (Toronto, ON) and Jérémy Faucher (Cowansville, QC).
Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus team accounts @pwhl_toronto and @pwhl_boston.