PWHL Power Rankings: Montreal is solid, but Toronto continues to climb

There were only a trio of PWHL games last week, and there's little disparity between them Daily Faceoff PWHL writers Tyler Kuehl and Hunter Crowther.

But in the latest edition of DFO's Power Rankings, we flip the two Ontario teams and take a look at why Montreal sits atop our list.

1. Montreal

Record: 6-1-2, +3
Last week: 1st
Hunter rank: 1st
Tyler's degree: 1st

Tyler: Sure, their offense wasn't great against Boston on Sunday, but this team showed the kind of style it hasn't needed to show this season. Other teams can get rattled when outplayed, but not this Montreal group.

Lost in Erin Ambrose and Marie-Philip Poulin's Great Game: What About Laura Stacey? He is currently on a heater and is one of the most efficient scorers in the league so far.

Can we also give some love to Elaine Chuly? He's putting on some 2018 Curtis McElhinney vibes here.

Hunter: Montreal and Boston's back-to-back matches went to overtime, only this time Montreal won. Whenever they play each other, it's a great game, and this was no exception.

Chuly's 26 saves on 27 shots secured the win for Montreal. The combination of her league-leading .962 SV% and Anne-Rene Desbiens' .930 SV% make them the best goaltending duo in the league. For a team with so much talent up front and on their blue line, this is a standout crease.

2. Minnesota

Record: 5-2-2, +2
Last week: 2nd
Hunter rank: 2nd
Tyler's degree: 2nd

Tyler: I know Toronto lost, but I'm not ready to give up on Minnesota just yet. After a hot start, it was only a matter of time before they regressed. But even though they have lost three of their last four games, they still have the power to bounce back.

I think the IIHF hiatus will give them time to rebuild some of their depth, and players like Nicole Hensley, Kendall Coyne, and Taylor Hayes will be able to regain their confidence for the final games of the rivalry series.

Hunter: If Minnesota had played another game or two with the result they had against Toronto last Saturday, they might be lower on this list. But everyone loses eventually, and often by three. There's no getting it wrong: this team is very good.

Hensley has a 4-2-0 record with a .934 SV%, but gave up four in his last outing. A bit of rest might do him good, but he expects to make at least one start for the U.S. in one of the rivalry series games this week.

3. Boston

Record: 4-2-1, -1
Last week: 3rd
Hunter rank: 3rd
Tyler's degree: 3rd

Tyler: Is it painful to feed with personal medication But the way Boston battled against Montreal on Sunday suggests this team can move forward. Aerin Frankel is an all-world goaltender and made several crucial saves in overtime.

My concern is: Will Hilary Knight survive? He only has a goal and an assist to show for it last month against Minnesota. I know he's not just a scoring threat, but Boston needs his production if they want to be a viable threat.

Hunter: Boston is a very special team, and I feel like the only team that can't catch them. I know they have a lot of talent, forwards Jamie Lee Rattray and Alina Mueller have won more turnovers than they have lost this season, pushing pucks in the offensive zone and looking like they have created chances.

Also, let's take a look at forward Sophie Shirley, who scored her first professional goal that week and got a late call from Hockey Canada about joining their roster for the Canada-USA contest. Series. This collection of games takes place in his home province of Saskatchewan.

4. Toronto

Record: 4-5-0, -6
Last week: 6th (+2)
Hunter rank: 4th
Tyler's degree: 4th

Tyler: Toronto made me realize something … when Natalie Spooner is alive, so is the team. The Scarborough native is coming into action at the right time, and with four goals in the last two games, he's showing why he's been a mainstay of Canada's national team for years.

Campbell looked good at the line and he had to go against Minnesota's best last Saturday. I think they should give him some help. Erica Howe looked like a liability in her two appearances, and Troy Ryan doesn't seem inclined to give Carly Jackson a shot anytime soon.

Hunter: Spooner looks back on all of his superstardom when he skated for the Toronto Furies a few years ago. Something about playing for your hometown. His league-leading seven goals came at a crunch time and lifted Toronto to just one in the standings.

One of the players who is looking great right now is defender Jocelyn Larocque. The future Hall of Famer is getting plenty of ice time on Toronto's blue line and has looked strong at both ends of the ice. Whether it's zone clearing or a powerful first pass, Larocque is a coach's dream.

5. New York

Record: 4-4-1, +1
Last week: 2nd
Hunter rank: 2nd
Tyler's degree: 2nd

Tyler: “But guys, they made a great comeback, they won!” Random person, not the voice in my head, why did they have such a great rally? Because they are behind. They went against Ottawa and did what they've done in most of their wins this season. Play well enough at the right time to win the games.

I can't be too hard on them because Corrin Schroeder is probably the most underrated goaltender in the league. If they can support him better on a consistent basis, they will surely climb the standings.

Hunter: One thing I think people in New York overlook is that they didn't have that for the first 55 minutes against Ottawa. Thanks to their top-heavy line-up, multiple goals won overtime and stole two points.

But when it comes to the worst crime, oh my God, the combination of Alex Carpenter in the front and Ella Shelton on the blue track is the production's oil drums. Carpenter leads the league with 11 points, while Shelton is tied with Montreal's Marie Philippe-Poulin and Boston's Muller for second with nine.

6. Ottawa

Record: 2-1-4, +1
Last week: 4th (-2)
Hunter rank: 6th
Tyler's degree: 6th

Tyler: Yes, we had them rated pretty high last week, but the brownie points for how hard Ottawa has played the last few games were lost when they missed an easy three-point opportunity. What is it that this team is unable to perform on its ice rink? They've nearly picked up a TD Place game, but they only have one in five home games.

Yes, they have scored in all but one game this season, but their two wins have seen them finish last in the league table and in our rankings.

Hunter: There is something wrong with this team. Now three straight, they have outscored their opponents 39-31 (3-2 loss to Boston on Jan. 24), 44-24 (2-1 OT loss to Montreal) and 4-3, 42-31. OT loss to New York.

There's a lot to like about Carla McLeod's lineup, but at some point, this team is going to have to put some numbers in the win column. They may only be a third of the way through the season, but the seeds have been planted for what to expect in April and May.

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