PWHL Mid-Season Grades

Montreal Victoire - A+

It seems like victory is all the team knows. The Victoire are on a five game win-streak, last losing to Minnesota on January 12.

Team Captain Marie-Philip Poulin has led with ferocity and set the standard on offense. She leads the league with ten goals and has five in her last three games.

Montreal has offense, impressive depth on the bench, and the best goalie in the league. Ann-Renée Desbiens leads the PWHL in wins, save-percentage, and goals-against average.

Minnesota Frost - A-

Currently sitting in second place, the Minnesota Frost have been providing a solid fight and are the only team threatening the Victoire’s dominance.

Much of their success is due to first round pick Claire Thompson, who has proven why she was drafted so high. She leads the league in assists and is already in the conversation for the PWHL Defender of the Year.

She is in good company, surrounded by teammates Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava who are all at the top of the league for points or goals.

One of the Frost's main areas of expertise? Winning in overtime. The team has gone to overtime six times, winning four of them.

Toronto Sceptres - B

If you’re looking for a team to watch, the Toronto Sceptres should be high up on your list.

They are in playoff contention for the first time this season after losing four of their first five games. They’re currently on a four-game point streak and things are only looking up.

League MVP Natalie Spooner is returning after being out all season due to a torn ACL in last year’s semi-final. She is expected to help boost the team’s scoring, although her first game back is yet to be announced.

Lesser known Megan Carter is also making a name for herself. The rookie defender made her debut on January 25th and in the four games that she has played, the Sceptres have scored a point in all of them.

New York Sirens - B-

The Sirens have been singing a sweet song with their first line, headlined with Sarah Fillier and Jessie Eldridge. However, the offense goes silent after that, which is much of the reason that the Sirens have fallen to third place.

Another hit to the offense is Alex Carpenter’s recent upper-body injury against Boston last week. Carpenter is among the top goal scorers in the league, and is a tough break for a teetering squad.

Despite the average current standing ranking, the Sirens do win the best goal celebration in the PWHL. Who doesn’t love an early 2000s Britney Spears and Spongebob Squarepants combo?

Boston Fleet - C

Simply put, Boston is underperforming. They’re playing in very close games, but have trouble scoring and executing in big moments.

Forward Alina Müller has been playing much better as of late, with two goals and six points in her last four games. She started off the season rocky, not scoring any points in the first eight games.

The Fleet struggle with their depth and cannot score against tougher teams. They are now tied with the bottom of the league, Ottawa, with 17 points.

Ottawa Charge - F

There’s no way to give Ottawa a passing grade when they’ve been in the bottom of the standings from the beginning. They could use improvement in every area, and it’s hard to see any coming anytime soon.

The Charge have really struggled with penalties this season, leading the league with 53. There seems to be a lack of discipline, with penalties coming all-across the board: boarding calls, illegal hits, and interference.

Ottawa doesn’t have much offense either. They sit last in power play success and have the most power play opportunities against.

If Ottawa wants to make a push, they need to have a change in strategy, and they need to have it now.

Allie Wenskoski is a third-year broadcast journalism student. To contact her, please email amw7637@psu.edu.