The Toronto Sceptres’ six-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday against the team with the best women’s player in the world in a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Victoire.
Marie-Philip Poulin and the league-leading Victoire had lost two in a row for the first time all season, and looked as angry and motivated as one would expect from a team that was having its long hold on first place threatened for the first time in months.
Poulin, the PWHL’s leading scorer, was in on each of the first two Montreal goals before Laura Stacey’s empty-netter, helping to set up Jennifer Gardiner’s first and scoring the second on a snipe from the high slot that beat Kristen Campbell for the eventual game-winner with a full period and more still to play.
Toronto actually had a lead in this one for more than a period. Jesse Compher put Toronto up early with her eighth goal of the year on a nice passing play with Blayre Turnbull and Savannah Harmon.
But that was the extent of the offence Toronto could manage. For the first time in nine games, the vaunted Toronto power play was held goalless on two opportunities.
The Sceptres played without both Sarah Nurse, who has been out since the Rivalry Series, and Hannah Miller, the league’s scoring leader, who was a surprise scratch earlier in the day because of a lower body injury.
With Campbell on the bench and the extra attacker on for Toronto, Natalie Spooner had a chance to tie the game. She was alone in front of Montreal goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens, but couldn’t beat the Montreal goalie on a pass from the corner.
The Sceptres will now have a full week and a bit to rest and recuperate before they get back on the ice a week from Thursday at home against Montreal.
Montreal has won all four meetings between the teams this season, with two more still to play.
A regulation win by the Sceptres last night would have pushed Toronto into first place, though Montreal would still have had three games in hand. Now the Victoire has three games in hand and a five-point lead over its closest pursuers.