Mélodie Daoust was in wonderful type for her Skilled Girls’s Hockey League debut as host Montreal beat Boston 3-1 in entrance of a crowd of three,232 at Verdun Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
The three-time Olympian made her debut on the primary line alongside Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. The 32-year-old ahead from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., has been on the workforce’s reserve participant record till signing a 10-day Commonplace Participant Settlement earlier than Saturday’s contest. Her stellar efficiency was adequate to earn the sport’s first star.
“It was unimaginable to see the ambiance as I stepped onto the ice and I believe I had chills after my first objective because the followers began cheering,” mentioned Daoust after the sport. “It feels good and it was enjoyable to have the ability to do this right here in Montreal.”
WATCH l Daoust scores in PWHL debut:
Mélodie Daoust, who lately signed a 10-day PWHL contract, scores the game-winning objective in Montreal’s 3-1 win over Boston.
Montreal acquired on the scoreboard first as captain Poulin scored her seventh of the season, unassisted however off a rebound from Daoust at 3:51 of the primary.
It was form of a homecoming for Daoust and Poulin, who’ve had quite a lot of alternatives to construct chemistry over their taking part in profession, each with the Canadian Nationwide workforce and within the former Canadian Girls’s Hockey League.
‘Sturdy chemistry’
Daoust scored her first PWHL objective, assisted by Poulin, to place Montreal up 2-0 early into the second.
Protected to say that chemistry has not fizzled out between the 2, and Stacey’s velocity and forechecking assist to spherical out the road.
“Marie-Philip and I’ve performed lots collectively prior to now with Crew Canada and I really feel like we’ve got robust chemistry on the ice, and to not overlook Laura who works exhausting on that forecheck such as you would not consider,” mentioned Daoust.
Regardless of being away from skilled motion for fairly a while as she’s put household first, she was fast to search out her footing. Her son was within the stands watching all of it occur.
“I prefer it when he is within the stands, I really feel prefer it provides me additional wings and I used to be actually completely happy to see him there tonight,” she mentioned. “I additionally really feel prefer it grounds me, I can play the function of mother whereas taking part in, it was unimaginable.”
Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie wasn’t in any respect fearful about Daoust’s potential to carry out headed into Saturday’s recreation, however famous that the choice to play her on the primary line alongside these acquainted faces was a great way to set her up for fulfillment.
“I do not assume that there was stress on her in any option to come out and carry out to what she did as we speak,” mentioned Cheverie.
“It is one factor to be practising a pair occasions every week with a workforce but it surely’s a unique story to be in recreation form and recreation prepared and so placing her in a spot the place there’s the velocity of Laura Stacey and the duty of Poulin, we thought it was a great determination to begin her off there.”
Montreal’s O’Neill takes cross-check to head
There gave the impression to be some animosity in the course of the recreation in entrance of the web on each ends, notably as Montreal’s Kristin O’Neill took a cross-check to the pinnacle in entrance of Boston’s internet within the second interval.
It appears there’s nonetheless work to be performed to make sure the officers’ calls are constant recreation after recreation, in accordance with Cheverie.
“We do not discuss that a lot with the refs,” she mentioned. “They chatted about [the call with O’Neill] however they by no means got here again. I did not truly know what the dialog was that occurred. I believe we’re seeing a discrepancy plenty of nights, however I do know it is one thing that the league is working diligently on and attempting to get it to a spot the place every evening we’re seeing some fairly constant play.
Late in that second interval, Boston trimmed Montreal’s lead as captain Hillary Knight scored her third of the season, assisted by Alina Müller who pressured a Montreal turnover to take possession.
Erin Ambrose notched her third of the season, assisted by Maria Keopple and Poulin at 2:29 of the third, serving to Montreal reclaim its two-goal lead.
Ambrose de la ligne bleue! <br><br>Ambrose will get her third of the season! <a href=”https://t.co/wtuh1yClI4″>pic.twitter.com/wtuh1yClI4</a>
—@PWHL_Montreal
Shortly after, Boston’s Jamie Lee Rattray was referred to as for roughing, giving Montreal one other probability to drag forward. Regardless of robust offensive stress, Boston managed to kill the Montreal energy play.
Montreal would get one other shot on the ability play with below 5 minutes left to play as Boston defender Susanna Tapani was despatched off for holding.
Goaltender Elaine Chuli posted 30 saves on this matchup and is the one goaltender within the league to stay undefeated.
“It has been nice to date,” Chuli mentioned. “We have positively been constructing because the season’s gone on and our workforce retains bettering and making our jobs simpler again there.”
Each groups return to motion Wednesday evening. Montreal visits New York at Complete Mortgage Area, whereas Boston travels to face Toronto at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
The complete schedule of PWHL video games airing on CBC Sports activities this season is on the market right here.
WATCH l CBC Sports activities’ Hockey North appears at greatest moments across the PWHL:
Host Rob Pizzo is joined by Saroya Tinker to interrupt down the most important tales from Week 8 of the PWHL season.