The PWHL is officially underway, and after the first handful of games, we are starting to see who has come out of the gate fired up and who limped their way out. Surprisingly, it wasn’t who we expected.

Week two of the schedule is going to be interesting, with a marquee matchup in New York and two chances for the Ottawa Charge to show that they’re more than they showed in their first game of the year. Let’s preview the PWHL this week.

Welcome to the PDub Preview! Every week, we’ll break down the biggest storylines, games to watch, and everything you need to know to get set for the week of hockey ahead.

How does this week shape up?

Here’s the full schedule:

Day of the week	Date	Time (EST)	Away team	Home team
Friday	November 28th	4 PM	Minnesota Frost	Seattle Torrent
Saturday	November 29th	12 PM	Vancouver Goldeneyes	New York Sirens
Saturday	November 29th	2 PM	Boston Fleet	Toronto Sceptres
Tuesday	December 2nd	7 PM	Minnesota Frost	Ottawa Charge
Wednesday	December 3	7 PM	Vancouver Goldeneyes	Boston Fleet
Wednesday	December 3	10 PM	New York Sirens	Seattle Torrent
Thursday	December 4	7 PM	Ottawa Charge	Toronto Sceptres

Game of the week

Through the first week, only two teams remain unbeaten: the Toronto Sceptres and the Boston Fleet. They play each other on Saturday afternoon in the matinee.

Now, in fairness, it has only been one game for each. Both New York and Vancouver lost their second game, but the Saturday game will determine which team remains the only unbeaten one.

The Sceptres were not convincing at all in their first game, having to rely on Raygan Kirk to stop 30 of the 31 shots she faced. Kiara Zanon netted the winner, and the team was lucky that Daryl Watts was unhurt after a nasty hit from Abby Hustler.

The Fleet looked better, beating Montreal by a 2–0 score. Goalie Aerin Frankel picked up the 25-save shutout, while Susanna Tapani and Megan Keller scored the goals for the Fleet.

But beyond the score sheet, the team played fast and played hard all game. Coach Kris Sparre spoke about playing more aggressively this season, and the team took that to heart in the first game.

The matchup between Toronto and Boston is going to be an interesting one to watch. Can Boston keep this pace of play up? Can Toronto find its groove in game two? Catch the game Saturday afternoon.

Player to watch this week: Haley Winn

The former second overall pick had an outstanding game for the Boston Fleet last week. Not only did she lead the team in shots, but her strength on the puck and her play at both ends of the ice were also exceptional.

She may not have hit the scoresheet in the 2–0 win over the Montreal Victoire, but Winn has already taken to the league exceptionally well. Fleet Head Coach Kris Sparre noted how good she was on the ice, calling her “special” and praising her play on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game.

The team played her against Montreal’s top line, and she shut them down shift after shift. While Montreal isn’t the deepest team in the league, its top players are exceptional. This is a testament to just how good she was this past week. How she does against Toronto this weekend is going to be worth watching.

Final thoughts of the week

It’s early in the year, but there is already a lot of movement. Ottawa signed Gabbie Hughes and Ronja Savolainen to contract extensions earlier this week. While this move doesn’t help them much in the short term, the stability does help them down the line.

Off the ice, the league is continuing to explore expansion locations. Ticket sales league-wide have been good, but very strong north of the 49th for the Takeover Tour. Could this mean another Canadian team next year? Abby Hustler became the first PEI-born player in the league, and the Mayor of Halifax came out in support of a team in the city. Could we see a Maritimes expansion?

It’s still too early to have a good pulse on all of the teams in the league, but there are some early signs to watch. This weekend will help make that picture even clearer.