Lou Orlando
The PWHL has made up for lost time since its midseason return on Feb. 26.
Eight of the 12 games out of the Olympic break were decided by one goal; four reached overtime. Seattle Torrent forward Alex Carpenter etched her name in the record books with the first penalty shot goal in League history on March 4.
Better yet, the playoff picture is tight as ever. Fueled by a six-game winning streak (4-2-0-0), the Montreal Victoire pulled within two-points of the first-place Boston Fleet. Near the playoff cutline, just two points separate the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place teams. The expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes and Torrent could join that race with a late-season run, though each must heat up soon.
Enjoy another edition of our PWHL Now power rankings ahead of a pivotal weekend slate.
1. Montréal Victoire (35 points, 9-4-0-5, +20 GD)
Previous Ranking: 3 (+2)
Boston was not easily dethroned in our rankings. Though the Fleet suffered a regulation loss Wednesday against Seattle, they remain atop the PWHL standings with 37 points and a League-best .685 points percentage.
Montreal, however, is the hotter team — and if they keep this pace up, they’ll leapfrog the Fleet for first overall in due time. The Victoire haven’t lost since Jan. 18, and they’re outscoring opponents 20-6 on their six-game win streak.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin returned to the lineup on March 1 after missing the team’s first game back from the Olympic break with a lower-body injury. She helped the Victoire shut out the Minnesota Frost in a 4-0 win, with Montreal holding a fearsome Frost attack to just 17 shots on goal.
Therein lies Montreal’s greatest weapon. The Victoire pace the PWHL in shot rate at all strengths, and they’re dictating the game flow at even strength. Montreal leads the League with 25.2 shots for and 19.2 shots against at even strength — there isn’t another team that comes close to that dominance on either end of the ice.
Ann-Renée Desbiens remains the favorite for PWHL Goaltender of the Year, and the Victoire’s depth is lighting the lamp consistently. That doesn’t leave much to complain about.
Boston and Montreal haven’t squared off since Nov. 23 — the 2025-26 season-opener for both squads. The Victoire host the Fleet on Sunday after 11 days of rest.
2. Boston Fleet (37 points, 9-4-2-3, +13 GD)
Previous Ranking: 1 (-1)
Boston would have relinquished its perch atop the PWHL already if not for a six-game winning streak (2-4-0-0) of its own. Seattle scored twice in the third period Wednesday to hand the Fleet their first regulation defeat since Jan. 3.
The Victoire are breathing down their necks, but the Fleet have thrived in tight situations this season. Each of Boston’s past seven wins was decided by a goal, with four reaching overtime. The Fleet won’t be fazed by a little extra competition atop the standings.
But Boston’s unremarkable offensive output could cost them points down the stretch. The Fleet scored two goals or fewer in 12 of their 18 games; Boston ranks third-worst in goals-for per 60 minutes, ahead of only the Goldeneyes and Toronto Sceptres.
With a suffocating defensive system and an elite goalie in Aerin Frankel, the Fleet are tailor-made to win low-scoring games — and they should have no problem doing so moving forward. They might have some trouble keeping pace with the red-hot Victoire, though.
3. Minnesota Frost (30 points, 7-3-3-4, +14 GD)
Previous Ranking: 2 (-1)
In their return from the Olympic break, the Frost’s high-powered offense was blanked for the first time in 2025-26. Montreal coasted to a 4-0 win on March 1, nearly doubling Minnesota in shots (33-17).
Minnesota bounced back to grab two points from Toronto in comeback fashion Sunday. Taylor Heise forced overtime with a power-play goal at 5:18 of the third period, and Kelly Pannek delivered the game-winner on a 4-on-3 advantage 2:28 into overtime.
There’s enough of a sample size to suggest the Victoire shutout was likely just a blip — perhaps some post-Olympics rust, or simply a testament to Desbiens’ excellence this season. Minnesota is primed for a third consecutive playoff appearance, and they’ll be aided by a favorable home schedule to close out the regular season.
4. New York Sirens (27 points, 8-0-3-8, -4 GD)
Previous Ranking: 5 (+1)
Four teams qualify for the PWHL playoffs, but there’s a noticeable dropoff in quality after Boston, Montreal, and Minnesota. The New York Sirens are likely the best of the rest, though even they own a negative goal differential this season.
A compelling case can be made for the Ottawa Charge in the No. 4 spot of our power rankings, but after New York dismantled Ottawa 6-2 on Sunday, the nod goes to the Sirens. New York snapped a five-game losing streak and catapulted back into a playoff spot with the emphatic win, much to the delight of a record home crowd at Prudential Center.
The Sirens flashed some concerns during their midseason skid — most notably a pair of shaky starts from goalie Kayle Osborne — but the emphatic win Sunday was a reassuring return to form. Star forward Sarah Fillier snapped a 14-game goal drought with a two-goal, three-point effort, and New York’s special teams play is on the rise.
A heavy road schedule makes their upcoming path more daunting, but the Sirens are still the safest bet to clinch the PWHL’s fourth and final playoff spot.
5. Ottawa Charge (26 points, 5-5-1-8, -5 GD)
Previous Ranking: 4 (-1)
A blowout loss to New York put a jarring end to Ottawa’s three-game point streak (2-0-1-0).
“We were off today,” Charge coach Carla MacLeod bluntly stated postgame. “It’s not from a lack of care. We just weren’t good today.”
The Charge’s playoff hopes hinge on whether they can outscore their mistakes. That’s certainly possible — the Charge offense ranks second overall despite generating the second-fewest shots per game. But it doesn’t leave goalie Gwyneth Philips with an easy task, as she faces the most shots per game in the PWHL.
The Charge should stay in this playoff race until the very end, but their porous defensive play will make clinching a berth harder than it needs to be.
6. Toronto Sceptres (25 points, 6-1-5-8, -16 GD)
Previous Ranking: 8 (+2)
Toronto looks much improved after its nightmarish 0-1-1-6 close to the first half — though that’s a low bar to clear. The Sceptres earned points in four straight games (2-0-2-0), including a pair of overtime losses to Montreal and Minnesota last week.
Daryl Watts recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in three games since returning from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, where she paced Canada with eight points (two goals, six assists).
It’s enough to get the Sceptres within a regulation win of a playoff spot, but that only bumps them up two spots on our power rankings. The team with the worst goal differential in the PWHL has some more work to do before they leapfrog a true playoff contender on our list.
After a matchup with Seattle on Sunday, Toronto takes on Boston in a home-and-home — a chance for the Sceptres to prove they’re not the same team that limped into the Olympic break.
7. Seattle Torrent (19 points, 5-1-2-9, -12 GD)
Previous Ranking: 7 (–)
The Torrent became just the third team to defeat the Fleet in regulation this season. That alone is worthy of appreciation, even if they sit dead last in the standings.
Seattle snapped a four-game skid Wednesday with their 3-2 win over the Fleet at Climate Pledge Arena, claiming victory for the first time since Jan. 20. The Torrent are tied with the Frost for the fewest games played in the PWHL (17) — a late playoff push is still in the cards, though they must overcome a couple of major injuries.
The Torrent shut down second-year forward Hannah Bilka for the remainder of the 2025-26 season after the 24-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in Milan-Cortina. Captain Hilary Knight is also on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) with a torn MCL; Knight didn’t rule out a potential return before the end of the season, but Seattle is without two key offensive gamebreakers for the time being.
Carpenter scored in back-to-back games to tie the team lead with seven goals. The Torrent need more of the same as they begin a four-game road swing, including matchups with Minnesota, Montreal, and Boston.
8. Vancouver Goldeneyes (20 points, 5-1-3-9, -10 GD)
Previous Ranking: 6 (-2)
Vancouver returned from the Olympic break with a pair of 2-1 losses to Toronto and Boston. They salvaged a point Tuesday, thanks to a third-period equalizer from Hannah Miller at 16:34, but Shay Maloney ensured a Fleet win with a game-winning goal less than a minute into overtime.
It marked three consecutive losses for the Goldeneyes (0-0-1-2), who hold the League’s worst points percentage (.370). They managed just one goal in each game, continuing a troubling trend for the League’s lowest-scoring offense.
No. 1 goalie Emerance Maschmeyer sports a 1.79 goals against average (GAA) and .942 save percentage in 2026, but the Goldeneyes only won two of her five games started. Unless their offense suddenly changes its tune, it’ll be a forgettable first season for Vancouver.
