Dalena Reporters l Monday, March 2, 2026
LAVAL, Quebec — The Montreal Victoire surged to the top of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) standings on Sunday with a dominant 4–0 victory over the Minnesota Frost, powered by an outstanding goaltending performance from Ann-Renée Desbiens and balanced scoring across the lineup.
Desbiens, one of the league’s premier netminders, posted 17 saves for her fourth shutout of the season, helping Montreal blank Minnesota at Place Bell. The win was Montreal’s fifth straight, moving the Victoire to 33 points (9–3–0–5) in the standings — one point ahead of the Boston team, though Boston has games in hand.
Offensive contributions came from multiple skaters, with Maggie Flaherty, Dara Greig, Maureen Murphy and Laura Stacey each finding the back of the net. Murphy also recorded a helper, while Hayley Scamurra added two assists as Montreal controlled the contest from the outset.
Minnesota, playing its first game since the Olympic break, struggled to generate sustained offence and went 0-for-4 on the power play, including time on a 5-on-3 advantage where they failed to convert. Frost captain **Kendall Coyne Schofield was absent from the lineup after being placed on long-term injured reserve due to an injury sustained at the Olympics.
The Victoire’s strong performance underscores their significant turnaround this season from lower table dwellers in early January to league leaders as the regular season nears its final stretch. Montreal’s next matchup is scheduled against the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday, while Minnesota will meet Toronto in their upcoming contest.