Montreal faces Minnesota, Toronto takes on Boston as PWHL returns on TSN
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With five games remaining on the schedule, Montreal hosts Minnesota and Toronto visits Boston Thursday on TSN, as the PWHL returns from the international break and heads straight into the final playoff push.
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MINNESOTA AT MONTREAL
Montreal enters play third in the league, four points behind Minnesota for second as the teams meet at Verdun Auditorium.
Marie-Philip Poulin, who captained Canada to gold in the recently completed women’s world hockey championship, leads Montreal and is tied for third overall in the PWHL with 17 points.
The 33-year-old missed Montreal’s final three games before the break with a lower-body injury and returned for Canada’s tournament opener in Utica, NY.
Montreal will hope that their return to action will also be a return to form as they have lost four in a row, including a 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota in the final game both teams played prior to the pause in the schedule.
Minnesota sits second in the PWHL, one point behind Toronto for top spot in the league.
They come back from the international break riding a five-game winning streak.
Grace Zumwinkle leads the way for Minnesota with nine goals and 16 points, captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, who posted nine points for USA at the worlds, is second on the team with 14 points in 19 games.
This is the final meeting of the regular season between the teams who split their first four matchups.
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TORONTO AT BOSTON
PWHL Toronto resumes play with a one-point lead at the top of the standings as they visit Boston at Tsongas Center.
Watch PWHL Toronto visit PWHL Boston LIVE Thursday at 7pm ET/4pm PT on TSN+.
Toronto dropped their final game before the break to Ottawa which ended a league-best 11-game winning streak that saw them climb into first place in the PWHL.
Natalie Spooner who was instrumental during the team’s hot streak, currently leads the league with 15 goals and 20 points in 19 games.
The 33-year-old has three markers in her last two league outings, a two goal performance in the loss to Ottawa and the decisive marker in the final victory during the streak, a 2-1 triumph over Boston.
Goaltender Kristen Campbell leads the league with 12 wins and three shutouts, she has a 2.06 goals-against average in 17 games this season.
Of the four teams that will see action on Thursday, Boston is the only one that is not currently in a playoff spot.
They enter action five points behind Ottawa for the fourth and final postseason position.
Alina Müller has three goals and 10 assists to lead Boston with 13 points.
Defender Megan Keller has 12 points, the second-most by any blueliner so far this season.
The teams are meeting for the fifth and final time this season with Toronto holding a 3-1 advantage heading into Thursday’s game.