Pelkey scores OT winner as Boston spoils Montreal's thrilling PWHL home opener

Amanda Pelkey scored the overtime winner as Boston spoiled Montreal’s thrilling Professional Women’s Hockey League home opener with a 3-2 win on Saturday.

Pelkey finished off a feed from Gigi Marvin at 2:17 of the extra period as Boston completed a comeback from 2-0 down.

A rowdy crowd of 3,245 emotional spectators, many of whom lined up outside Verdun Auditorium hours before the game, filled the stands to take in the historic moment.

Taylor Girard, Hannah Brant also scored for Boston (1-1-0), which had a game against Ottawa postponed earlier this week due to bad weather. Aerin Frankel stopped 31 shots.

Erin Ambrose, Laura Stacey scored for Montreal (2-2-0) and Ann-Renee Desbiens made 18 saves.

Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin appeared to score the game-winner early in the extra period, but officials disallowed the goal after review due to goalie interference — drawing heavy jeers from the home fans.

Poulin, one of hockey’s all-time greats, is known as “Captain Clutch," a moniker given for her three Olympic gold-medal winning goals for Canada.

But she was denied a chance to add to that tag this time.

On this occasion, the show off the ice was almost bigger than on it.

Screaming fans of all ages — some hoisting signs that read “About Damn Time” and “Play Like a Girl,” others decked out in PWHL Montreal’s burgundy jersey — wore multicolour flashing bracelets and waved white towels throughout the game.

The crowd erupted for Poulin, of Beauceville, Que., the last player to take the ice during introductions.

Fellow Olympic gold medallists Danielle Goyette, France Saint-Louis, Kim St-Pierre, Caroline Ouellette and Montreal general manager Daniele Sauvageau — some of Quebec’s hockey royalty — then lined up at centre ice for the ceremonial faceoff.

Ouellette’s young children dropped the puck between Poulin and Boston captain Hilary Knight before Quebec singer Lulu Hughes sang both anthems.

After a scoreless first period, the floodgates opened in the second.

Ambrose scored Montreal’s first home goal with a point shot past Frankel 33 seconds into the period after the Boston netminder made two acrobatic great saves.

Stacey doubled Montreal’s lead just 29 seconds later, before the public address announcer could finish announcing the previous goal, with a one-timer from the slot to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Girard replied for Boston at 4:15 with a short-handed breakaway goal and ended the visiting team’s penalty in the process — a new rule the PWHL implemented before the season opened Jan. 1.

Brandt then buried a rebound to tie it 1:31 later.

The scored remained 2-2 through the end of third period as Frankel shut the door on a persistent Montreal attack.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2024.