MONTREAL — Laura Stacey scored with 42.7 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Montreal Victoire a 3-2 victory over the Boston Fleet in front of 8,812 at Place Bell on Monday night.
It was Stacey’s 11th goal of the season and fourth game-winner as Montreal (11-7-3-8) secured home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Professional Women’s Hockey League playoffs and a Toronto Sceptres loss on Tuesday against the New York Sirens will allow them to clinch first place.
Boston forced overtime with two late goals 39 seconds apart, but it wasn’t enough to pull out the victory.
Montreal opened the scoring on the power play when Jennifer Gardiner came off the bench to knock in the rebound after Abby Boreen’s shot rang off the post. The goal came on the Victoire’s third power play of the game.
It was Gardiner’s fifth goal of the season, and the first PWHL goal allowed by Boston goaltender Klara Peslarova, making her second start and third appearance. Boston (9-6-5-9) would have clinched a playoff spot with a win, but will have to wait to punch their ticket. Peslarova made 33 saves in the loss.
Montreal’s power play struck again with 15:12 remaining in the third period when Catherine Dubois tipped a Maureen Murphy shot for her fifth goal of the season.
Boston cut the lead to 2-1 with 2:46 remaining with a short-handed goal by Hannah Brandt. The goal was reviewed to determine whether it went in the net before it was dislodged. It was her third goal of the season.
Hannah Bilka tied the game just 39 seconds later when she fired a shot past Ann-Renee Desbiens with 2:07 left in regulation time.
The win was Desbiens’ league-leading 14th of the season. Desbiens was making her first league start since getting injured on March 18 in Boston. She returned to play at the world championship tournament, playing four games for Canada. She continues to lead all qualified goaltenders in both goals-against average and save percentage. Desbiens made 27 saves on Monday.
The Victoire played the game without two of their top-four defenders, with Kati Tabin serving the final game of her two-game suspension and Erin Ambrose out for personal reasons.
Both teams have one game remaining in the regular season, as the league wraps up play Saturday with all six teams in action.
Fleet: The injury-riddled Fleet missed a chance to secure their playoff fate.
Victoire: Montreal’s second power-play unit was on the ice for Montreal’s first two goals as they try to get their depth scoring going.
Boston scored two goals in 39 seconds late in the third period to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Gardiner’s goal to open the scoring was the first PWHL scored on Peslarova in her first 125:40 of game time spanning parts of three games.
Fleet: Host the Minnesota Frost on Saturday.
Victoire: Visit the New York Sirens on Saturday.
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