OTTAWA, ON (April 27, 2024) – Ann-Renée Desbiens had a 31-save shutout as Montréal defeated Ottawa 2-0 at The Arena at TD Place on Saturday afternoon.
Desbiens’ shutout was her first of the season, claiming her second regulation victory in a row after defeating New York on Wednesday at home. With the victory, Montréal moves into first place in the PWHL with 41 points, three more than Toronto who has a game in hand.
Laura Stacey and Maureen Murphy each scored for Montréal.
Desbiens made 21 saves in the final frame — a single-period high for the goaltender—as Ottawa pressed to tie the game with the score 1-0 heading into the third.
With the game still 1-0 five minutes into the period, Desbiens made two sprawling saves with heavy traffic in front before freezing the puck to stop play.
Ottawa began the third by outshooting Montréal 9-0 in the first 8:12 minutes of play.
Ottawa thought they had finally broken through with just 5:52 remaining in the third on their 24th shot on goal.
During a scramble play in front, Ottawa defender Savannah Harmon found the loose puck and put it in the cage with Desbiens down in the crease but, after video review, it was determined there was goalie interference on the play.
Montréal scored the insurance marker with 1:48 left in the third, as Murphy scored her fifth goal of the season.
Mélodie Daoust weaved through Ottawa’s zone with the puck and fed Murphy in the slot, who quickly snapped it between Emerance Maschmeyer’s pads to make the game 2-0.
After Montréal’s second goal of the game, Ottawa pulled Maschmeyer— but Desbiens again stood tall for her team, including denying Hayley Scamurra point blank at the side of the net, her 20th save of the period.
The first period saw back-and-forth action, with both starting goaltenders coming up big for their respective teams to keep the game 0-0 heading into the first intermission. Shots were even at eight apiece in the frame.
Stacey scored the game’s first goal at 3:13 of the second period with her tenth tally of the season.
Catherine Dubois started the play by poke-checking the puck off an Ottawa defender’s stick below the goal line. The puck went right to Stacey in the slot who one-timed it over Maschmeyer’s shoulder to give Montréal a 1-0 lead.
Ottawa entered the game with the opportunity to clinch a playoff position with a regulation victory but will now have to wait until their next game to try and punch their ticket.
Maschmeyer made 21 saves in the loss, her first regulation defeat since March 2 against Toronto.
Up next, Ottawa continues their push to the playoffs when they take on New York at Prudential Center on Tuesday. Montréal plays their final game of the season on Saturday, May 4 when they head to Boston for a match-up at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.
Postgame Quotes:
Montréal goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens on her shutout: “It was some real playoff hockey. It was physical and intense. Ottawa did everything they could to put it in the net.”
Montréal forward Laura Stacey on the intensity: “I think that all games will be tight until the end. It’s going to be tough. It won’t always be pretty. I honestly don’t know how it will be possible to have more intense games in the playoffs, because this is incredible.”
Ottawa head coach Carala MacLeod on her team’s strong play on the penalty kill: “I thought our penalty killing gave us momentum. I thought we did a really nice job on the penalty kill. They had a hot power play for the last handful of games, and I thought our team executed the plan. Of course, there was territorial time and things like that, but to come out of the first at 0-0 when there were three powerplays for them and only one for us… We were proud of our penalty kill.”
Ottawa’s Savannah Harmon on the goal that was called back in the third period: “We wanted it to be a goal, but we still had a lot of momentum after that play. We were ready to go. I honestly, while I played it, I wasn’t really sure. I just played it. I saw the open net, I went for it.”
Notes:
- Attendance: 8,452 – The Arena at TD Place, Ottawa, ON.
- Three Stars: 1) Ann-Renée Desbiens 2) Daryl Watts 3) Laura Stacey
- Shots ended 31-23 in favour of Ottawa — Shots were even 8-8 in the first, Montréal had the edge in the second 10-2 and Ottawa led the third 21-5.
- Ottawa’s two shots in the second period is their lowest single period total of the season.
- The losing team outshot the winner in all five games of the season series.
- Brianne Jenner (OTT) led all players with six shots on goal — Teammate Emily Clark and Montréal’s Stacey finished second with four shots apiece.
- Ottawa was 0/2 on the powerplay — Montréal was 0/3.
- Montréal fails to score a powerplay goal for the first time in four contests – They entered the game an impressive 6/14 in three games following the International Break.
- Erin Ambrose (MTL) all skaters with 31:18 time-on ice – Savannah Harmon led Ottawa skaters with 30:50 TOI.
- This was Montréal’s first shutout of the season and the first time Ottawa has been shutout.
- Montréal scored the game’s first goal for the 14th time which leads the league – They have won 11 times when scoring first.
- Ottawa’s point streak ends at seven games — They had collected 16 out of a possible 21 points during that time.
- Desbiens is tied with Boston’s Aerin Frankel and Minnesota’s Nicole Hensley for third in the league with seven wins — Four of Desbiens’ wins have come against Ottawa.
- Desbiens’ 21 saves in the third period are second-most in a PWHL period this season — Teammate Elaine Chuli holds the record with 22 saves in one period, against Minnesota on January 24.
- Stacey extended her point streak to four games (3G, 3A) — She ends the season series against Ottawa with seven points (4G, 3A) in five games.
- Stacey’s goal moves her into a tie with Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle for second in goals scored in the PWHL with ten on the season.
- Mélodie Daoust extended her point streak to three games (2G, 1A) – She has recorded a point in four of her five games this season.
- Marie-Philip Poulin’s point streak ends at three — She remains the PWHL’s scoring leader with 22 points (9G, 13A) in 20 games.
- Ambrose’s point streak ends at three — She currently leads all defenders in scoring with 17 points (4G, 13A) and sits tied for fifth in league scoring.
- Emily Clark’s point streak ends at six (2G, 4A), tied for the longest point streak in the PWHL this season.
- Jenner and Watts’ point streaks end at four — Jenner had goals in each of those four contests.
- The game was Ottawa’s last at home this season as they hosted a Fan Appreciation Day.
- Ottawa finished with a 4-1-3-4 record and 17 points at The Arena at TD Place.
- Today’s crowd of 8,452 is Ottawa’s largest attendance in 12 home games this season.
- Montréal wins the season series 10-5 in points with wins in four of five games played.
- Montréal (10-3-5-5) moves into first place in the PWHL with 41 points — They have a three-point lead on Toronto with one game remaining to Toronto’s two.
- Ottawa (8-1-6-7) holds onto fourth place with 32 points on the season — They are tied with Boston with one game in hand, and three points behind third-place Minnesota.
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