State of the Fleet: Volume Two

With the Boston Fleet rapidly approaching the halfway point of the season, it’s time for another State of the Fleet review. The Fleet remain atop the league's standings, banking 28 points via an 8-1-2-2 record, which is five ahead of the second-place New York Sirens, over whom Boston has a game in hand. Projected by most to finish near the bottom of the standings in the preseason, the Fleet have been full of surprises so far this season. However, things haven't been perfect. So, let's dive into three storylines from the season to date, from the good to the middling to the outright concerning.

A Tale of Two Teams: Home vs Road

The Fleet’s overall record this season is sparkling. Their record in Massachusetts is blemish-free, with all five games between Agganis Arena and the Tsongas Center ending in a regulation Fleet win. Perhaps even more importantly, they’ve also deserved to win those games. However, the road story has been very different. Outside of Massachusetts, the Fleet are 3-1-2-2, which isn’t terrible. However, the only one of those wins that Fleet fully deserved was a 3-1 decision on December 21 in Seattle. Otherwise, every road game has featured, at minimum, a slow start or collapse at the end, and it's become concerning.

Boston has had significant trouble starting road games with the same urgency that they do at home, particularly early on in road trips, while also failing to clamp down defensively when they do have a lead in three of their four losses. They’ve left points on the table that they had no business leaving behind, and while any point earned is positive, the Fleet must start playing better on the road. No team goes far when they only control games at home.

Special Teams Have Been a Bit of a Mixed Bag

The Fleet’s penalty kill this year has been nearly perfect. They’ve allowed just one goal during 30 kills for a shiny 96.7% success rate, while also scoring one jailbreak goal. Combine that with the fact that they are the least penalized team in the league through 13 games— a stark contrast to last year–and you have a recipe for success.

However, the power play has been a bit of a different story. Megan Keller has come up with some clutch goals, which is covering up the fact that they otherwise haven’t been very impressive with the advantage. Just two first-unit players (Keller and Abby Newhook) have power-play goals, while only Theresa Schafzahl has scored on the second unit, which has lacked punch all season. Keller is the only player with multiple goals, tallying a league-leading four, but they have all come in virtually the same manner: a one-timer from above the circles. It’s made the first unit a one-trick pony, as they have become overly reliant on getting that shot from Keller, which is becoming increasingly obvious to opponents. However, the first unit has plenty of talented offensive players, so this shouldn't be necessary. They need to diversify their looks more before teams fully lock in on stopping Keller, leaving everyone else scrambling for answers, and the Fleet gifting their opponents momentum with successful penalty kills.

The Newbie Bet is Paying Off

The theme of this offseason for the Fleet was betting on new faces. From hiring head coach Kris Sparre, a newcomer to women’s hockey and a first-time head coach, to signing all six of their 2025 draft picks by the end of camp, the message was clear: they wanted a fresh start. That bet has paid off. Much of the Fleet’s success is owed to Sparre, who approached this group with a fresh perspective and has them playing a style that suits them well instead of trying to put players in boxes they don’t fit in. He and his staff have also focused on creating and executing individualized development plans for every player, which has been paying off with past underperformers looking more and more comfortable as the season progresses, and the team's stars continuing to shine bright.

Meanwhile, the Fleet’s rookies have all settled into their spots in the lineup. Haley Winn is building a strong Rookie of the Year campaign, Abby Newhook’s versatility has given the coaching staff plenty of line flexibility, and since being scratched for the first five games, Olivia Mobley has brought an excellent, hard-nosed style that’s translated into three goals in nine games. As for the others, Riley Brengman has been as advertised as a smooth-skating, more shutdown-focused defender, although she has also added two goals, while Ella Huber has looked more and more comfortable with the faster, more physical professional game. Finally, Amanda Thiele has earned praise from the team's coaching staff for her performance in practice as the team’s third netminder, and has earned a couple of nights dressing as the team's backup as a result. Betting so strongly on newcomers could have seriously backfired for the Fleet, but instead, it’s one of the main reasons they sit atop the league standings.

Overall Vibe

All things considered, the Fleet are in an excellent spot as the Olympic break looms, sitting nine points clear of fifth-place Ottawa with a game in hand. However, there are some things they need to pay attention to, namely their road play and their power play, if they want the ship to continue heading in the right direction.

Immediately after returning from the Olympic break, the Fleet will embark on a five-game road trip, which feels like a make-or-break moment for the team. The PWHL is too competitive for any team to withstand major losing streaks and stay in a good position. Therefore, the players staying home during the Olympic break would be wise to laser in on fixing the issues that have cropped up these past few months. It shouldn't be too difficult, especially with the entire coaching staff staying stateside. If they can do that, and the Olympians can learn the new tweaks quickly, they’ll be in good shape to have an equally strong second half of the season. However, if they flounder coming out of the break, things could quickly get dicey despite their relatively smooth-sailing first half.