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PWHL Power Rankings: Week 19 (04/25-05/01)

Move theaters aren't the only thing Marvel's Thunderbolts are crashing this week.

PWHL Power Rankings: Week 19 (04/25-05/01)
Ann-Renée Desbiens prepares to make a save against Boston. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Welcome back to The Ice Garden’s weekly power rankings! Check back every Friday for a new installment and remember: if you think your team is ranked too low, it’s definitely, totally, 100% because we hate them.

At long last, the PWHL returned this week! After over three weeks without PWHL game action, each team played two games this week. Somehow, that brings us to the final games of the regular season, with every team wrapping up Saturday afternoon. Just like last year, three teams are left to vie for the final two playoff spots. Two of them even play each other in a can’t-miss game. I’ll be back with one more power rankings installment next week, which will come a little earlier than usual to accommodate the May 6 playoff start date. See y’all then for one last ride this season!

With Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*” hitting theaters today, I figured now was the perfect time for this season’s first Marvel theme (although I don't know why it took this long). And what’s more appropriate than digging through the individual Thunderbolts’ past MCU appearances to find a quote to describe each team?

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#1 (tied). x- Montréal Victoire (11-7-3-8, 50 points)

Gardiner and a teammate embrace to celebrate a goal, while the crowd cheers in the background. They are wearing maroon home uniforms.
Jennifer Gardiner hugs her teammate during a game against Boston. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-)

Path to Playoffs: Home ice advantage clinched, one point away from clinching the first seed.

This Week’s Results:

  • Sat, April 26 @ OTT- 3-2 L
  • Mon, April 28 vs BOS- 3-2 OTW

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 @ NYS- 2 p.m. ET, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (CBC, MSGSN2, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Quote: “I’ve been a captain before, obviously, but this is different. This is…everybody in the world expects me to be something. And I don’t wanna fail them.”- John Walker/U.S. Agent, formerly Captain America (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier).

The Victoire have been a great team before. But heading into the playoffs, they seem to be struggling under the weight of the expectations that they’re the PWHL’s best.

Montréal is limping into the playoffs despite being the first team to clinch before Worlds. They are far from playing their best hockey lately and there isn’t much time left to turn it around. Yet again, they only remained in the top spot this week because no one else in their vicinity is playing their best hockey either (although someone has tied them). They need to come out and make a statement against the Sirens tomorrow, who have absolutely nothing left to play for but pride, or the current uneasy feeling will only grow.

#1 (tied). x- Toronto Sceptres (12-3-5-9, 47 points)

Jackson crouches, with their glove hand pulled back as they prepare to clamp down on the puck. Only the stick of the Sirens player is visible on the left side of the screen. Jackson is wearing a blue home uniform.
CJ Jackson makes a save against the New York Sirens. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (+1)

Path to Playoffs: Semifinal home ice advantage clinched, three away from securing the first seed.

This Week’s Results:

  • Sat, April 26 @ BOS- 3-0 L
  • Tue, April 29 vs NYS- 2-1 SOW

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 vs OTT- 12 p.m. ET, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, ON (TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com).

Quote: “I could have been more famous than Captain America.”- Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (Black Widow)

If only Toronto hadn’t whimpered out of the gate, they could’ve been the top team all year.

Like Montréal, Toronto kicked off the week with a tough regulation loss before rebounding with a past-regulation win. The Sceptres’ shootout win was particularly special for them, as it was fan-favorite CJ Jackson’s first career start after spending the past two seasons as the third-string goaltender. They put on a great performance, and everyone loves a good feel-good story, especially with the stakes about to ratchet up next week. Outside of that, Toronto could potentially play spoiler for Ottawa's playoff hopes this weekend, so it will be interesting to see if that provides any extra motivation for a team that has been needing a boost lately.

#3. Ottawa Charge (12-1-4-12, 42 points)

Jenner stops just outside the crease as the puck sails past a kneeling Chuli. Cayla Barnes is chasing after Jenner, who is wearing a red home unifom. The Montréal players are in cream away ones.
Brianne Jenner scores on Elaine Chuli. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-)

Path to Playoffs: Two points from clinching a spot.

This Week’s Results:

  • Sat, April 26 vs MTL- 3-2 W
  • Wed, April 30 vs MIN- 3-0 L

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 @ TOR- 12 p.m. ET, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, ON (TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com).

Quote: “Look, here’s the thing. I’m not Tony Stark, I’m not Dr. Banner, okay? I don’t have the flashiest gadgets, I don’t have super strength. But what I do have is guts.”- John Walker/U.S. Agent, formerly Captain America (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

Quote from 0:48-1:00.

The Charge are not the flashiest or strongest team. But they certainly are gutsy.

Ottawa has had a dramatic week, to put it lightly. They claimed a huge three points from Montréal thanks to Ashton Bell’s jailbreak goal with 13 seconds remaining. They then played Minnesota, who they could have eliminated while simultaneously clinching their own playoff spot with a single point, but they played a dud of a game (except for Gwyneth Phillips). but then they came out and played a dud of a game. That said, the fact that they’re even still battling for a spot is impressive given how bad things looked for a while. They’ll have a chance to avenge last season’s ending, which saw their playoff dreams dashed by Toronto on the final day. One imagines they’ll be ready to play for this one.

#4. Boston Fleet (9-6-5-9, 44 points)

Brandt and Peslarová fist bump as two players line up behind Brandt to do the same. They are all wearing white away uniforms.
Hannah Brandt fist bumps Klára Peslarová after scoring against Montréal. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for fourth (-)

Path to Playoffs: One point from clinching a spot.

This Week’s Results:

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 vs MIN- 1 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (NESN, FanDuel Sports Network North, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Quote: “Sometimes I think you like getting punched.”- James "Bucky" Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)

Quote from 1:21-1:23.

The Fleet have such a knack for making things as difficult as possible that at this point, you really have to think they enjoy it.

To think that it wasn’t that long ago that it felt like the Fleet were fairly secure in a playoff spot. And yet, here they are again, scrapping for a spot on the final day. They pulled off a big regulation win over Toronto on Saturday, but then decided to barely play hockey for the first 57 minutes against Montréal. It resulted in another frustrating loss, and now it all comes down to an essentially do-or-die game against an equally desperate Minnesota team. Trust me when I say you won’t want to miss it.

#5. Minnesota Frost (9-5-4-11, 41 points)

Heise looks to her left as she stands straight up, holding her stick at waist height with two hands. She is wearing a purple home uniform.
Taylor Heise prepares for a faceoff against the New York Sirens. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for fourth (-1)

Path to Playoffs: Three points from clinching a spot.

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, April 27 vs NYS- 2-0 L
  • Wed, April 30 @ OTT- 3-0 W

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 @ BOS- 12 p.m. CT, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (FanDuel Sports Network North, NESN, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Quote: “Great plan. I love the part where I almost bled to death.”- Yelena Belova (Black Widow)

The Frost had a plan: make the playoffs again. Somehow, that plan is still possible, but they’re nearly bleeding to death in the process.

What a rollercoaster season it’s been for Minnesota. From looking like one of the best teams in the league to barely staying alive ahead of the final day of the season, things have not exactly gone the way the defending champs hoped. Or, have they? After all, look at how it worked out last year…

#6. New York Sirens (8-4-5-12, 37 points)

Osborne looks behind the net to her left as Zandee-Hart makes a play on the puck. They are both wearing white away uniforms.
Kayle Osborne watches as Micah Zandee-Hart plays the puck behind the net. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (-)

Path to Playoffs: Eliminated, four Gold Plan points banked so first overall pick clinched.

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, April 27 @ MIN- 2-0 W
  • Tue, April 29 @ TOR- 2-1 SOL

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, May 3 vs MTL- 2 p.m. ET, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (MSGSN2, CBC, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Quote: “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”- James "Bucky" Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)

The Sirens are about to ride off into another offseason with more questions than answers. Here’s hoping they don’t do anything too stupid before they get back (same goes for you, Sirens fans).

It’s officially another playoff hockey-less spring for Sirens fans. It’s been expected for a while, but it still disappointed many since the team has been playing better lately. That said, they have already locked up the first overall pick, and that will be better for them in the long run than getting bullied in the playoffs. This team still has a major (and somewhat inexplicable) problem on offense, but they’ll have a good chance to shake things up after the roster gets picked over in the expansion draft. GM Pascal Daoust has another offseason of tough decisions ahead.

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