Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 21 shots, with 11 crucial saves in the final period, leading the Montreal Victoire to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Sceptres in a Professional Women’s Hockey League match on Sunday at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.
Kati Tabin, Hayley Scamurra, and Laura Stacey found the net for the Victoire (2-0-0-1), securing their second consecutive win. Raygan Kirk made 27 saves for Toronto (2-0-0-2), while Emma Gentry notched her first PWHL goal in the defeat.
Tabin kickstarted the scoring at 8:38 of the opening period with a precise shot from the point that beat Kirk for her inaugural goal of the season. Montreal thought they had doubled their advantage late in the first period, but Marie-Philip Poulin’s redirected goal was disallowed after review due to a kicking motion.
Despite a hiatus since November 25, Montreal dominated the first period with a 12-3 shot lead. The momentum carried into the second period where Scamurra extended the lead to 2-0 with a fortuitous deflection off Toronto’s Kali Flanagan.
Stacey sealed the victory with a power-play goal in the third period after Gentry briefly narrowed the margin for Toronto. The game saw Toronto fail to convert on a full two-minute five-on-three advantage early in the third period, with Desbiens making crucial saves, including denying Ella Shelton.
This clash marks the first of a three-game series between Montreal and Toronto, with upcoming matches scheduled at different venues, including Halifax on December 17 and the Bell Centre on December 27 as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.