3 takeaways from Scepters’ 3-1 loss to Victory – The Hockey Writers – PWHL
The Montreal Victoire host the Toronto Sceptres in a matinee game on Sunday (Dec. 7) at Place Bell. Both teams are looking for a win to really make some progress on their seasons and bring some momentum into the upcoming short break.
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The Maces got a goal from Emma Gentry, but it wasn’t enough. Victoria had an all-around power play, suffocating any attempts by Toronto on offense. They defeated the Maces 3-1 to drop their record to 2-2-0-0.
Wands need to be more aggressive
This Toronto team has a lot of skill up front, but there’s another part of their game that could use some help. So far this season, they’ve trailed their opponents in field goal percentage in every game, sometimes by double digits. There was also a moment in the first quarter of Sunday’s game when captain Blayre Turnbull fired a hard shot in the back but there was no reaction from his teammates.
The hard edge of the scepter may prove valuable. They need Emma Maltais and Renata Fast, the leaders in this category, to continue to be physical and others to make more plays in this area. A team that checks out and stands up for its teammates, especially its captain, is a team that can win in the playoffs.
Penalty kill still hot despite allowing first goal
While they’ve had some struggles on the power play, the other half of Toronto’s special teams unit is firing on all cylinders. The team has taken 11 penalties so far, 10 of which have been eliminated by the penalty kill team, including a five-on-three in Sunday’s game. While their first goal saw them drop down the league table while shorthanded, I’d say a run rate of around 90% is still pretty good.
It looks good both on paper and on the ice. They were able to keep teams on the outside and limit most of the high-danger chances that usually occur on those strengths (except for Montreal’s chances to overtake). That’s a good sign for this team moving forward.
Jesse Compher needs to move on
The first-line winger, who became a real star on the team last season, has gotten off to a slow start. Jesse Compher scored a career-high 18 points last season, and she’ll likely put up similar numbers again. However, by the start of the 2025-26 season, she no longer looks like the same player. She has just one assist in four games and is looking for the touch she had when she scored nine goals.
If Comper can rejuvenate and regain the confidence and power he had last season, it could be a game-changer for this Toronto team. There’s still plenty of time to level it up, but the sooner, the better for her teammates.
Scepters start taking over tour after break
After the PWHL rested some 10 days for some players for a rivalry series, Toronto will return to action with a short but unique road trip. They first travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to play Victoria again at the Scotiabank Centre. The game will be played on December 17, with puck drop at 4:30 pm CDT.
Afterwards, they will head south to Newark, New Jersey, to watch the New York Sirens play at the Prudential Center. This is another Sunday matinee (December 21st), starting at 10am PDT.
