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2024-25 PWHL Power Rankings: Week 7 (01/10-01/16)

No bazinga, The Big Bang Theory has crashed this week's rankings.

2024-25 PWHL Power Rankings: Week 7 (01/10-01/16)
Minnesota players celebrate during a game against Montréal. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Welcome back to The Ice Garden’s weekly power rankings! Check back every Friday for a new installment and remember: if you think your team is ranked too low, it’s definitely, totally, 100% because we hate them.

Just like that, we’re a third of the way through the PWHL season! It both feels like it just started and like more than 30 games have been played. It’s been an exciting season so far and with just nine points separating the first-place Minnesota Frost from the last-place Toronto Sceptres, the competition should only get fiercer. There was a lot of movement in this week’s rankings, with just one team staying in the same spot (and it was perhaps unfair of me to keep them there). This upcoming week features several games between teams directly on top of each other in the standings, so it should be another great week of hockey.

*Knock knock knock* PWHL fans *knock knock knock* PWHL fans *knock knock knock* PWHL fans. It’s time for The Big Bang Theory to take over the power rankings! Read on to see each team as a quote from the sitcom.

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#1. Minnesota Frost (4-3-2-2, 20 points)

Minnesota players celebrate a goal with a tight group hug just above one of the circles. They are wearing purple home uniforms.
Minnesota players celebrate a goal against Montréal. Photo courtesy. of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, Jan 12 @ MTL: 4-2 W
  • Wed, Jan 15 @ NYC: 3-2 SOL

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Fri, Jan 17 @ MTL: 6 p.m. CT, Place Bell, Laval, QC (FanDuel Sports Network North, TSN, RDS, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Tue, Jan 21 vs OTT: 6 p.m. CT, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (FanDuel Sports Network North, Amazon Prime, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)

TBBT Quote: “That’s my spot” —Sheldon Cooper (recurring quote)

Some would argue it should've been theirs all along, but after a few weeks of close calls, the Frost have finally regained my #1 spot. Now, let's see if they can protect it as fiercely as Sheldon.

After a stretch of one major injury after another, things are looking bright for Minnesota. Sophie Jaques returned against Montréal and immediately made her presence felt with a goal and an assist in 20:32 of ice time, which was second on the team only to Lee Stecklein. Grace Zumwinkle and Nicole Hensley should be returning relatively soon too. They’ve done a remarkable job of gutting out wins to stay atop the standings and now, they’re going to be awfully scary.

#2. Montréal Victoire (4-2-1-2, 17 points)

Two Montréal players celebrate a goal with a hug along the end boards. One is midair as they jump into it. They are wearing cream away uniforms.
Montréal players celebrate a goal against Minnesota. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-1)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, Jan 12 @ MIN: 4-2 L

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Fri, Jan 17 vs MIN: 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, FanDuel Sports Network North, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Sun, Jan 19 vs OTT: 1 p.m. ET, Vidéotron Centre, Québec City, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)

TBBT Quote: “The guy is one lab accident away from being a supervillain” —Leonard Hofstadter (S2, E7)

Quote starts at 0:07.

The Victoire inexplicably can’t score on the power play, and their second line could stand to pitch in more offensively. But pretty much everything else has been going great, and if they ever figure those things out, they’ll be a nightmare-inducing superteam.

Montréal’s tour of North America continued this week with their third Takeover Tour appearance. This one didn’t go as well as they hoped, but the only lasting cause for concern is that Laura Stacey left the game and is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. If that lingers, it’s a big loss for the Victoire. Otherwise, Montréal will be just fine. They have two more big games on the docket this week, starting with another first-place battle against Minnesota tonight. Then, they'll head to Québec City to take on the Charge in front of what is shaping up to be another huge crowd just 88 kilometers/55 miles from a certain Captain Clutch's hometown. Surely, that won't give any extra motivation to her or her team.

#3. New York Sirens (3-3-1-3, 16 points)

Sirens players celebrate a goal with a group hug. Four are already part of it, while Fillier is skating in from the left. They are wearing teal home uniforms.
New York players celebrate a goal against Minnesota. Photo courtesy.of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 4 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, Jan 12 vs TOR: 1-0 OTW
  • Wed, Jan 15 vs MIN: 3-2 SOW

Upcoming Schedule: 

  • No games this week

TBBT Quote: “I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested.” —Sheldon Cooper (recurring)

Quote starts at 0:15.

New York has just one regulation win since December 18. Since then, they've gone to overtime three times in six games. Leaving so many points on the table while relying on your top line to score 46.4% of your goals seems like a crazy strategy to me, but so far they’re doing enough to pass the test.

The Sirens had a solid week with two post-regulation wins, including one against the first-place Frost. Ideally, they need to get more consistent depth scoring and start winning games in regulation, but they’re doing a good job of staying in the playoff picture and never really leaving a bad taste in your mouth after losses. They get a break from games this week, so it'll be a good chance for the team to reset and maybe come back closer to the higher-powered team we saw at the beginning of the season.

#4. Boston Fleet (2-2-2-4, 12 points)

Adzija (right in white) skates against Larocque (left in red). Adzija is carrying the puck to her left and looking at it, while Larcoque is skating in to poke it away.
Lexie Adzija skates against Jocelyne Larocque. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Wed, Jan 22 vs TOR: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (NESN, TSN, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)

TBBT Quote: “Big deal. Not knowing is part of the fun!” —Penny to Sheldon (S4, E18)

Quote starts at 0:35.

Will Boston’s offense ever break through? Can they stay out of the box more consistently? Will they be able to come together and make a run like they did last season? Who knows, and considering these are mostly the same problems as last season, the Fleet apparently view that as part of the fun!

The Fleet pulled off a gutsy win in their only game of the week, and then they finally got to head home and catch their breath after playing six games in different cities in 14 days. However, there are still issues that need to be addressed, especially offensively. With the standings as tight as they are, Boston has to come out of their break with more fire (and use it within the rules). It’s nice they’re riding a four-game point streak, but they have to stop leaving points on the table if they want to crawl into the playoff race. It’s time to stop saying you think you’re building to something and start showing it.

#5. Ottawa Charge (4-0-2-4, 14 points)

Two Ottawa players (both left) are going for the puck against the Toronto player (middle). Maschmeyer is on her knees in the goal (right). The Ottawa playersare in red, while the Toronto player is in white.
Ottawa players battles for a puck with Jesse Compher. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-2)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sat, Jan 11 vs BOS: 2-1 OTL
  • Tue, Jan 14 vs TOR: 4-2 L

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sun, Jan 19 @ MTL: 1 p.m. ET, Vidéotron Centre, Québec City, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Tue, Jan 21 @ MIN: 7 p.m. ET, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (Amazon Prime, FanDuel Sports Network North, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)

TBBT Quote: “Bazinga!” —Sheldon Cooper (recurring quote)

Quote first said at 1:12.

Remember how I said last week that the Charge were riding a three-game regulation win streak and about to play two floundering teams? Surely, they did well, right? Bazinga!

Oh, Ottawa. Just when I put some faith in you, you return to old habits. They got a point against Boston, but considering the Fleet were struggling and at the end of a very long road trip, those are two extra points they’ll probably wish they had down the line. To make matters worse, they followed it up with a rough outing against the also-struggling Sceptres. Emerance Maschmeyer is doing everything she can to keep her team in games (although she did not play against Boston), but it’s high time they start helping her more consistently.

#6. Toronto Sceptres (3-0-2-5, 11 points)

Nurse takes a shot. The puck is just leaving her stick, which is slightly elevated, and most of her weight is on her right left. She is wearing a white away uniform.
Sarah Nurse takes a shot against Ottawa. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (=)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, Jan 12 @ NYC: 1-0 OTL
  • Tue, Jan 14 @ OTT: 4-2 W

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Wed, Jan 22 @ BOS: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (TSN, NESN, PWHL YouTube Channel, thepwhl.com)

TBBT Quote: Soft kitty song —various characters, usually Penny to Sheldon (recurring)

Song starts at 0:58.

Just like “Soft Kitty” comforts Sheldon when he’s sick, the Sceptres should take comfort in their results this week. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s a start.

It’s perhaps unfair to keep the Sceptres in the basement this week. After all, they decisively took down the Charge on Tuesday, outshooting them 39-24 en route to a 4-2 victory. However, I couldn’t justify plummeting Ottawa three spots in one week, so here we are. The good news is, after managing just seven points in their first eight games, the Sceptres banked four in their last two. They look like they’re starting to figure some things out, and they’ll have a good chance to keep things going against Boston this week, who they've already beaten twice in regulation this season.

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