The Montreal Victoire Are Playoff Bound

The Montreal Victoire have officially clinched their spot after getting it done at Place Bell. But they’re not done yet, with first place still in reach and a chance to control who they face next.

It was an important day today at Place Bell, as Montreal headed into this game knowing they could punch their ticket to the Walter Cup playoffs, all while facing a team that is pushing to make the cut. As Laura Stacey said: "They’re fighting for their life for the playoffs, and we wanted to clinch tonight."

The Vancouver Goldeneyes, one of the newest teams in the league following expansion, were in town for their third-ever matchup against the Victoire. Montreal also had a familiar face back in the locker room, with defender Erin Ambrose returning to the lineup after 41 long days of absence.

A Game Decided in the Last 20 Minutes

The first two periods were evenly matched, with both teams creating opportunities and scoring chances. But both goalies, Ann-Renée Desbiens and her Team Canada partner on the other side, Emerance Maschmeyer, were keeping their teams in the game throughout. Montreal lacked the ability to capitalize on four power play opportunities, and it’s in moments like these that you feel Poulin's absence. The Victoire captain was placed on LTIR on March 24 and will be eligible to return on April 5.

Although the visiting team struggled with turnovers during the game, they left no space for Montreal on the power play. They were solid on the forecheck and strong at killing Montreal’s momentum. After 40 minutes, as Vancouver head coach Brian Idalski put it, "it was anybody’s game coming into the third." But Montreal put one on the board first with a goal from Hayley Scamurra, who was left alone in the crease. She scored off a pass from Stacey that came from behind the blue line. Later in the third, she locked in the win with another goal, this one being an empty netter. Defender Maggie Flaherty also added an empty net goal, sending Place Bell fully into playoff mode. "She came to us as a winger, but we needed help down the middle," said Kori Cheverie about Scamurra. "She moves all around and makes everyone better."

The Stacey Effect

Another player that seems to make everyone look good is Laura Stacey. Whenever she has someone new added to the top line with her, they always come out successful. When you look at Catherine Dubois’ past few games on the first line, she has three goals, and Scamurra just notched two tonight. "She plays at 100% every time," shared Scamurra on Stacey. "She's predictable, you know what she is going to do, she found me perfectly for both of my goals."

Job’s Not Finished

Now that the team has officially booked a spot in the playoffs, Kori Cheverie believes in the importance of player management. "The recovery piece is huge, how we get players to 100%." She went on to share her belief in making sure the players stay sharp and that they all get to 100%, even though most of them are never at their best all season, whether it be injuries or fatigue. "We will continue to do our best to win every game because I think that mentality, that sets us up for success."

It’s important to remember that unlike in the NHL, teams that have clinched keep fighting for first place, because finishing at the top of the standings gives you the opportunity to choose your playoff opponent. Montreal is currently only two points behind Boston and will no doubt continue to fight for that top spot.

Montreal is back in action on Friday against the Ottawa Charge.