Off to a poor start to begin the season, the Toronto Sceptres had a bit of a different look to them in Game 5 of their PWHL schedule, and for the most part, those changes all worked out.
What didn’t change was the outcome which for the fourth time in five games was a loss, this one in overtime. Laura Stacey pounced on a turnover and beat Sceptres rookie goaltender Raygan Kirk for the game-winner 14 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 Montreal win.
It was a tough result for a Toronto team that was much better in this game than it had been in every game since a season-opening win over Boston.
The changes for Toronto began in goal with Kirk, making her first start in place of Kristen Campbell, but the Sceptres were different in many aspects of the game they would lead early, lose the lead, get it back again, and then lose it with seven minutes to go in regulation time.
For the first time all season, the Sceptres were first on the board. Jesse Compher, from her knees no less, bat Elaine Chuli high to the glove side for a 1-0 Toronto lead.
The Sceptres have only held a lead, any lead, in a game this year on two previous occasions. One came when Hannah Miller scored in the final minute of the season opener to give Toronto the win, and the other lead came briefly in Game 3 at home against Minnesota when Darryl Watts scored a highlight-reel goal, beating Maddie Rooney in tight for a lead Toronto would hold for less than a minute before getting owned in the third period.
While the Compher goal was being announced, Sarah Nurse made it 2-0 for Toronto, but any chance of Toronto running away with this one ended soon into the second period.
First, Abby Boreen undressed Renata Fast, going inside and then out, before beating Kirk high to the blocker side for the first goal allowed this season by the Ohio State product.
Kirk had no chance on the second goal minutes later that tied the game when Maureen Murphy redirected a puck directly in front of the Sceptres goalie on a shot from the point.
Toronto’s pressure in the offensive zone, which had already produced two goals, got a third as Blayre Turnbull repeatedly refused to let the Victoire break out of its own end, eventually leading to a loose puck in front of Chuli that Izzy Daniel banged home for her second of the season.
The reigning Patty Kazmaier winner was parked in front to put the Sceptres ahead, just like both Nurse and Compher had been for their first-period goals.
The other big change in the game was Toronto’s penalty kill unit, one of the strongest areas of their game a year ago, and early on easily one of its weakest.
Toronto killed off three minors and a major to Rylind MacKinnon, who was assessed with a major and a game misconduct for a hit to the hit that took Amanda Boulier out of the game.
Toronto came into the game with a league-worst 61.5% penalty kill, having allowed five power play goals on 13 chances. The 0-for-4 bumped that average up to almost 70%.
Montreal tied the game and forced overtime with just over seven minutes to go in the third period when Lina Ljungblom was left alone in front and banged in her own rebound past a sprawling Kirk.
Kirk was by far the busier of the two goalies in the game. She stopped 35 of the 39 shots she faced, to the 22 faced by Chuli in the game.