Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 21 shots, with 11 crucial saves in the final period, leading the Montreal Victoire to a 3-1 triumph over the Toronto Sceptres in Professional Women’s Hockey League competition on Sunday at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.
Kati Tabin, Hayley Scamurra, and Laura Stacey each found the back of the net for the Victoire (2-0-0-1), securing their second consecutive victory.
Raygan Kirk made 27 saves for Toronto (2-0-0-2), while Emma Gentry notched her first career PWHL goal in a losing effort.
Tabin initiated the scoring at 8:38 of the opening frame with a shot from the point that eluded Kirk, marking her first goal of the season.
Montreal briefly thought they doubled their lead in the first period when Marie-Philip Poulin redirected a pass into the net, but after a review, it was deemed a kick and disallowed.
Despite a break since Nov. 25, Montreal dominated the first period with a 12-3 shot advantage. The team sustained their momentum in the second period, including a 1:35 five-on-three power play, but failed to convert.
Scamurra extended Montreal’s lead to 2-0 early in the second period with a fortuitous deflection off Toronto’s Kali Flanagan. It marked Scamurra’s first goal of the season following her offseason move to Montreal.
Toronto clawed back with a goal 1:36 into the third period by Gentry, only for Stacey to swiftly respond and restore Montreal’s two-goal cushion.
Despite a full two-minute five-on-three opportunity, Toronto failed to capitalize early in the third, as Desbiens made key saves, including denying Ella Shelton.
The Montreal-Toronto matchup is part of a three-game series set in different venues. The teams will clash on Dec. 17 in Halifax as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour and again on Dec. 27 at the Bell Centre.