As the number-one seed in the PWHL, the Montréal Victoire was able to select their opponent for the first round of the playoffs. On Sunday night, they chose the Minnesota Frost.

Playing the back-to-back Walter Cup champions in the first round of the playoffs is a tough sell on its face. But the decision also makes a lot of sense. Could it be the key to Montréal finally reaching the Walter Cup finals?

Reasons to choose the Frost

Head-to-head season record

The Victoire seem to have what it takes to beat the Frost—at least in the regular season.

Montréal swept the four-game season series against Minnesota. Two of the games were won in overtime by a backhand goal from Marie-Philip Poulin, who continues to come up clutch when needed. However, the Victoire still beat the Frost 3–0 on March 25 without Poulin in the lineup.

In a playoff series, a team can focus entirely on figuring out their one opponent without having to adjust to the style of a new adversary every few days. The Victoire seem to have figured out the Frost. Playoff hockey is a different beast, but you generally know what you’re going to get from Minnesota, and Montréal can plan accordingly.

Goaltending to shut down the offence

Goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens played each game in the season series, earning two shutouts and a 0.964 save percentage (SV%). The Victoire outscored the Frost 12–3. Allowing only three goals to Minnesota all season is no small feat—they led the league with 91 goals, meaning an average of just over three goals per game. Yet they could score only three goals total against the Victoire.

While Minnesota is generally also a high-scoring team in the playoffs, against outstanding goaltending, they haven’t racked up the same numbers. In the 2024–25 Walter Cup finals, they faced the eventual playoff MVP Gwyneth Philips in net. Every game in that series ended with a score of 2–1, and Philips posted a 0.952 SV%.

Desbiens has been consistent all season with similarly ridiculous numbers. In 25 games, she held a 1.11 goals-against average (GAA), a 0.955 SV%, seven shutouts, and 19 wins. Only once did she allow more than two goals in a game. In the 2024–25 playoffs, she had a 1.55 GAA and a 0.943 SV%.

Weaker goaltending compared to Philips

Given a choice between facing Gwyneth Philips and Maddie Rooney or Nicole Hensley, this season’s numbers say to go with the Frost’s duo. Rooney and Hensley are both below Philips in season SV%. Rooney allowed three goals in each of her two games against Montréal, giving her a 0.909 SV% against the Victoire. Hensley fared even worse, with a 0.898 SV% in two games. In comparison, Philips had a 0.938 SV% against Montréal this season.

Reasons not to choose the Frost

Highest-scoring team

Despite the low-scoring finals last year, the Frost generally don’t lose offensive steam in the playoffs. In the inaugural season, they managed two four-goal games in the series against Toronto, then at least three goals in each game except one in the finals against Boston. Their first round of the 2024–25 playoffs against Toronto was even more productive, with wins of 5–3, 7–5, and 4–3.

Kelly Pannek had an unbelievably successful 2025–26 season offensively, with 16 goals and a shooting percentage of 27.6%. Seven of those goals came on Minnesota’s league-leading power play. The top three scorers in the league are from the Frost (Pannek, Taylor Heise, and Britta Curl-Salemme), and Kendall Coyne Schofield joined Pannek and Heise with at least a point per game on average.

Rooney’s playoff record

Despite her struggles against Montréal this season so far, Rooney has a strong playoff record (0.948 SV% in 2024 and 0.932 SV% in 2024–25). In last season’s finals, her SV% was over 0.970 in each of her three games. Montréal has been seeing some more depth scoring this season, but Rooney would be tough to beat in the postseason.

Travel considerations

Grand Casino Arena is a time zone away and a three-hour flight plus customs and airport navigation. Given that the series is only five games, travel may not be too much of a factor, but it’s worth pointing out when the alternative was a two-hour bus ride to Ottawa.

Reasons not to choose the Charge

The Ottawa Charge are inconsistent within a game and from game to game, making it hard to predict what team you might face on a given night, or even what might happen on a given shift. With Minnesota, you know you’re getting relentless offence, but at least you can plan for that.

The Victoire do have a winning record against the Charge this season, with three wins and an overtime loss, but the games have generally been closer. Desbiens had a 0.943 SV% against Ottawa but didn’t shut them out this season (the sole shutout came from Sandra Abstreiter).

Gwyneth Philips’s goaltending continues to be exceptional; she finished the season with a 0.931 SV% overall. In last year’s playoff run, the Victoire simply couldn’t solve her.

Ottawa has also been the master of late-game wins and overtime heroics, particularly thanks to players like Rebecca Leslie, Brianne Jenner, and Sarah Wozniewicz. Their ability to be clutch in sudden-death situations bodes well for playoff hockey.

Finally, the Victoire may still be mentally affected by last year’s playoff defeat and the chants of “You chose us!” at TD Place Arena. All these factors combined made Ottawa seem like the more difficult opponent for this first round.

Exciting series ahead

The 2025–26 playoffs begin on Thursday, April 30, between the Boston Fleet and the Ottawa Charge at the Tsongas Center. The Montréal Victoire will face off against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday, May 2, at Place Bell.