PWHL New York returned to UBS Arena for the first time in over a month on Wednesday night. The team first took the ice in Long Island against PWHL Montreal. Coincidentally, this matchup was also one against Montreal. While New York’s first home game against Montreal didn’t go as planned due to a 5-2 loss, this game was a chance to make up for it.
With no permanent home arena and a schedule packed with away games early on, the team has had limited opportunities to play in front of their fanbase. This battle between New York and Montreal was an excellent opportunity for New York to impress in front of their home crowd and extend their win streak to three games. But this would be a challenging feat, with Montreal sitting second in the standings.
First Period
PWHL New York was ready for the challenge, coming in with a vast amount of energy and effort right off the opening faceoff. Immediately, Montreal forward Maureen Murphy was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking, allowing New York to get ahead of a strong Montreal team quickly.
All alone in front, Alex Carpenter received a pass from Abby Roque and sniped the puck top shelf, scoring on the first shot of the game, giving New York the early lead 1-0. The goal extended Carpenter’s goal streak to three games as she continued to stack points.
We love a Carpy snipe 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/a3VCfsYwHD
— PWHL New York (@PWHL_NewYork) February 22, 2024
A few minutes later, New York’s Eldridge was called off for tripping. However, with help from some incredible puck possession by Jill Saulnier, Montreal could not capitalize, keeping New York ahead.
Late in the first period, Montreal began gaining momentum, but New York goaltender Abigail Levy stood tall, keeping Montreal off the scoresheet. To end the first frame of action, Emma Woods was taken off for boarding. Despite their fair share of chances, Montreal failed to crack the code needed to beat Levy. New York was able to find the back of the net.
Shorthanded, Abby Roque’s backhanded attempt was stopped by Montreal’s goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens. But the rebound returned to Roque, who then sent the puck to Carpenter, setting her up for the first jailbreak goal in PWHL New York history.
Another look at our FIRST EVER JAILBREAK GOAL! pic.twitter.com/iS7mbhSY9l
— PWHL New York (@PWHL_NewYork) February 22, 2024
The goal was Carpenter's second of the game and fifth in her last three games. As the horn buzzed, New York headed into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead over Montreal.
Second Period
Both teams exchanged penalties to start the second period, with New York's Jade Downie-Landry first heading off for kneeing, followed by Montreal's Sarah Lefort getting called for a hit to the head. The two power plays were deemed unsuccessful for both clubs, but New York was able to sustain some pressure for a few moments following the end of their power play. Nevertheless, they were unable to score.
The penalties continued as New York was sent to the penalty box again. With defenseman Micah Zandee-Hart off for roughing, Montreal had a hold of the man advantage again late in the period. Things for New York didn't run as smoothly as they had the period before due to an unassisted power-play goal from Laura Stacey, which cut New York's lead in half. Within the blink of an eye, Montreal was right back in the game.
Heading into the matchup, Montreal's power play had yet to see success, converting at a rate of just over 5%. The power-play goal had given Montreal some confidence and spirit they would take into the third and final period.
Third Period
The game was tight as the puck dropped for the third period, with New York trying to hold off Montreal for the last 20 minutes. Both sides gained possession of the puck early on, but Montreal began to apply more pressure, forcing Levy to stay focused.
Due to this sudden push, Taylor Baker was called for interference, and Montreal's power play connected once again, tying the game up at two goals apiece. It was a strange redirection, as Marie-Philip Poulin's shot went off of Laura Stacey's body and into the back of the net. But there was some questionability behind the play since Stacey's skate had made minor contact with Levy's stick just moments before the goal. After a lengthy review, the goal was called back for goaltender interference, giving New York their one-goal lead back with 12:31 left in regulation.
Shortly after, a hard drive to the net by Maureen Murphy led to Montreal tying the game up once again. The net was dislodged during the play, causing the refs to look over another goal. But this time, things went on Montreal's side, and the game was officially tied.
For the remainder of the game, both teams received plenty of chances to take the late lead, including New York, who received a power play but came out of it empty-handed. The score remained even after 60 minutes of play, sending the game into overtime. This was the fourth consecutive match for New York to go past regulation.
Overtime
The extra session between New York and Montreal was action-packed. Levy and Desbiens both remained sharp. Despite efforts from exhausted players on both teams, the goaltenders reigned superior, extending the game to a shootout.
Shootout
Roque opened up the scoring in the third round of the shootout. After another save from Levy, Carpenter was sent in for the second time. Carpenter scored with a gorgeous move, giving New York the 2-0 lead in the five-round shootout. At this point, Montreal needed to score to keep the shootout going. Montreal's Laura Stacey displayed patience with the puck on her stick but was stopped by a desperate pad save from Levy, handing New York the 3-2 win.
A look at tonight's Save of the Game! Just a casual toe save to close out the shoot out with a W! 😮💨
PWHL New York x @BreadFinancial pic.twitter.com/es23LIXYEx
— PWHL New York (@PWHL_NewYork) February 22, 2024
Abigail Levy was the third star of the night, while Alex Carpenter was the first. In a thrilling matchup, New York collected a huge two points over Montreal, extending their win streak to three games, and most importantly, earning their first home win of the season.
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