The PWHL this week: Finding consistency — and a steady fan base — in New York
Ottawa enters break in a playoff spot, as linemates discover rhythm and chemistry
PWHL New York GM Pascal Daoust wanted to build a team that consistently plays a hard 60 minutes of hockey.
But Daoust hasn't always seen his team play like that this season. As a result, New York enters the PWHL's international break, which lasts until mid-April, in last place.
"The level and the skills of all the teams is so tight that every time that you stop for five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, you're gonna pay the price," Daoust told CBC Sports on Thursday.
New York defeated Boston 3-2 in the last game before the break, a crucial regulation win to keep New York's playoff hopes alive.
To Daoust, it felt like the closest his team has come to playing a complete 60-minute game all season.
"We definitely have the right way to practice and to prepare and to train," Daoust said. "Then how we translate that in a game, how we adjust, how we face adversity, how we react after a goal from the opponent, how we react after a penalty, that's probably what we need to work on."
Despite being in last place, Daoust didn't make any moves before the trade deadline, believing in the potential of his roster.
It's a young team, with a lot of players who are in their first year or two of professional hockey. With that in mind, Daoust has the future in mind, not just today's standings.
"I was not surprised necessarily to see some young players, I wouldn't say struggling, but trying to adjust and to find what was the exact way to play against older players, more mature players, experienced players," Daoust said. "We're getting there."
One of those players is Élizabeth Giguère — a goal-scorer who won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2020.
In her first season with the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation, which was sold and shut down to make way for the PWHL, Giguère had 22 points in 18 games.
But Giguère didn't record her first PWHL point until March.
"When they come out from college or after a year or two of what used to be their pro league, [the PWHL] is having the best, the very best, players in the world," Daoust said.
"For Giguère and some others, it's the very first time in their life that they're going through a season without scoring many goals per game. So it's tough, it's a new challenge."
Daoust has a lot of belief in what Giguère can do. He pointed to her first PWHL goal, where Giguère exhibited patience and skill, as proof.
"It's all about self confidence, and we still believe in her," Daoust said. "That's why she's with us and that's why we're putting her on the power play so that she can bring some points."
In the last game before the break, Giguère had a goal and an assist on the power play, despite only playing about 11 minutes.
New York relies heavily on its top three forwards — Alex Carpenter played more than 23 minutes that same night. Could an elevated role for Giguère lead to more production now that she's finding her stride?
Heading to New Jersey
Every team has five games remaining after the break, and New York announced this week that two games will be played at Prudential Center, home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, on April 20 and April 30.
Up to this point, New York has split games between Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., and UBS Arena, home of the NHL's New York Islanders.
The games in Connecticut, in particular, haven't drawn well. Fewer than 800 people attended a Wednesday night game earlier this month.
Daoust said games on weeknights have been challenging, though all teams across the league have played weeknight games this season. League leadership is committed to the New York market, but will need to figure out a home.
"I'd say it would be easier if we would have our very own venue," Daoust said about playing games in three different states.
"But again, we have a privilege here to be playing at both Prudential and UBS and we'll leave that in the business hands to pick the right place for us."
Even though the New Jersey games will be home games, it may not feel that way to players. Daoust said the team plans to stay in a hotel, given the distance from their training facility in Connecticut.
Ottawa on the rise
Ottawa enters the international break in playoff position after a 5-3 win over Toronto that ended Toronto's win streak.
The team has also made up some distance on third-place Montreal, which has lost its last four games.
"It definitely feels so incredible to be in a playoff spot and to now realize that we can continue to climb in the standings because there's five games left," Ottawa forward Daryl Watts, who had a hat trick in the win over Toronto, told CBC Sports. "Anyone can beat anyone on any night."
WATCH | Hockey North looks at Ottawa's back-to-back wins:
Ottawa has lost a lot of close games this season, including six in overtime.
Watts kept hearing around the league how difficult her team was to play against, but the standings didn't always reflect that.
"To us, we didn't really care that it was one goal and we were close or the shots were in our favour," Watts said. "We were upset and it was a struggle because losing's not fun."
A turning point might have come back in mid-February, when head coach Carla MacLeod shook up her lines. She landed on a top six that featured skill and grit on both lines: Emily Clark, Gabbie Hughes and Hayley Scamurra on the first line, followed by Watts, Kateřina Mrázová and captain Brianne Jenner on the other.
The latter trio has combined for 37 points over the last 11 games. Watts was named last week's first star in the PWHL, while Jenner was named the second.
"I think the team is now in rhythm and chemistry is stronger now with the new lines being in place for so long, so I think we're building confidence not only as a team but within units within the team," Watts said.
Watts, a Patty Kazmaier winner in 2018, quit hockey after college. After having not played in almost a year, she returned to the game to sign with the Premier Hockey Federation's Toronto Six last winter.
She needed, as she calls it, a "hockey saviour" to get her back into game shape.
Enter former NHLer Gary Roberts, who trains some of the best players in the NHL, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Steven Stamkos.
"They completely transformed my body," said Watts, who worked with Roberts' team from last February until November, when she moved to Ottawa.
The experience left Watts in the best shape she's ever been in, and showed her what it takes to be the best in the world.
It's certainly translated on the ice for Watts, who's fun to watch. Her eight goals are tied for third in the league.
Canada preps for worlds
The Canadian women's national team is holding a pre-tournament camp in Kingston, Ont., this week before heading to Utica, N.Y., for the world championship.
While the American team is still selecting its roster at an evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., the Canadian roster was announced earlier this month.
"We think there's more value in spending the week connecting and building our team versus trying to select our team," Team Canada GM Gina Kingsbury told CBC Sports on Thursday.
The team will be led once again by captain Marie-Philip Poulin. She missed the last three games with Montreal before the break, but appears on track to play at the world championship.
"We're going through the process," Kingsbury said. "We're making sure that she's doing everything that she can to be ready to go, and she's doing great in that plan."
CBC Sports will have a preview of the world championship, including a rundown of players to watch, coming next week.
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