Captain Clutch Stays True To Her Name

In front of a sold-out crowd, Montreal showed determination until the final minute, opening the 2026 home season with a hard-fought 3–2 win over the Minnesota Frost.

What started as a slow game filled with frustrating moments ended with nothing but a spectacular performance by the Victoire. A game that showed their determination, their grit, and their belief in each other.

It was announced a few hours before puck drop that Erin Ambrose, a key member of the blue line, would be out of the lineup due to an illness, therefore promoting Maggie Flaherty to the top line. Swedish forward Lina Ljungblom was also announced to return with the red, white and blue after a long absence. While the reason was not shared by the team, Swedish media later revealed she had been battling mono.

Minnesota, the back-to-back Walter Cup champions, was playing its second game in as many nights, this time against a rested Montreal team. Coach Kori Cheverie did not believe that would necessarily be an advantage.

“When a team comes off a loss on a back-to-back, you almost don’t want to play them,” she said. “It’s like the bear has been poked, and now they’re coming at you. We expect their best.”

A Forgettable First Period

The first period will not go down in history. While shots on net were even, Minnesota controlled most areas of the game. Maddie Rooney looked calm and confident between the pipes, and Minnesota’s Mae Batherson, sister of Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson, sniped a shot glove side on Desbiens to score her second of the season.

Despite multiple opportunities to get on the board, Montreal was denied time and time again by Rooney’s standout performance. The forecheck was strong, forcing Minnesota to move the puck quickly, but a sense of frustration slowly began to creep in.

A New Team In The Third

Whatever was said in the dressing room between the second and third periods clearly worked. The third felt like an entirely different game.

The crowd came alive midway through the period when Poulin scored on a backhand while falling to the ice. The Victoire’s spark of hope was back, but with just under two minutes left, Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield netted her eighth of the season, bringing the possibility of a fourth straight loss, a franchise high, to life.

Then, with 30 seconds remaining, who else but Abby Roque to tie the game with a beautiful goal. Cheverie later praised the goal, even comparing it to a “Sidney Crosby-type goal.”

Chemistry And A Sigh Of Relief

The chemistry between Roque and Poulin has felt like the missing piece of the first line.

“When people can see the ice, it’s really easy to build chemistry like that,” Roque shared. “She sees the ice better than almost anyone, and she can score a goal from almost anywhere.”

In overtime, it was only fitting that Captain Clutch herself scores the winning goal, offering a sigh of relief for both the team and its fans. When asked if relief was the right word, Cheverie disagreed.

“It’s more like, okay, finally,” she said. “The things we’re putting in place are kicking in, working, and we’re starting to connect and see some finish.”

Depth Problem

As expected, Montreal’s first line was noticeable every time it stepped onto the ice. What remains a concern, however, is depth scoring. Over the past two playoff apparences, despite record-breaking regular seasons, Montreal has struggled to generate offense beyond its successful first line. That reality hasn’t changed much, even with the emphasis that was placed on depth during the preseason.

When more than half of the team’s goals come from the trio of Stacey, Roque and Poulin, there is reason for concern.

“Certainly we want more lines to score,” Cheverie acknowledged. “We need more, but we’re seeing a lot of growth.” She added that holding Minnesota to the low 20s in shots was something the team could be proud of.

New Year's Resolution

Asked about the team’s New Year’s resolution, Cheverie took a moment before answering.

“This win is what we want to see,” she said. “Too often when we went down a goal, it felt very deflating. What I want for this group is that no matter what’s happening in the game, they show that character, grit and fight.”