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2024-25 PWHL Power Rankings: Week 8 (01/17-01/23)

It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet PWHL power rankings!

2024-25 PWHL Power Rankings: Week 8 (01/17-01/23)
Montréal players stand for the anthem before playing at the Vidéotron Centre in Québec City. 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.

This week around the PWHL was the toughest one yet in my rankings world. A lot of great hockey was played, but only two teams swapped places. If this week was the only consideration, there would have been more shuffling. However, now that we’re over a third of the way through the season, the most recent week doesn’t necessarily hold the most weight, and things get even messier when one team doesn’t play. Anyway, in contrast to last week, many of this week’s games feature lopsided matchups (per the standings), so there will either be a lot of movement next week or very little.

It’s time to play the music! It’s time to light the lights! It’s time to see where your team landed in the power rankings this week! It’s Muppet Mayhem as I discuss which team some of the gang should join (because they're totally real live beings capable of playing hockey).

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#1. Montréal Victoire (6-2-1-2, 23 points)

Dubois points up into the crowd. Her back is to the camera and she is facing toward the end boards. She is wearing a maroon home jersey, and there are two other Montréal players skating toward her.
Catherine Dubois points to the crowd in celebration. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

  • Fri, Jan 17 vs MIN- 4-2 W
  • Sun, Jan 19 vs OTT- 2-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Wed, Jan 29 vs OTT- 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Thu, Jan 30 vs TOR- 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Kermit the Frog

Have you been half asleep? Or have you heard the voices saying Montréal is the team to beat this season? They can just about do it all on the ice and there’s no better fit for the jack-of-all-trades leader of the Muppet gang.

Well, that didn’t take long. After ceding the top spot to Minnesota last week, Montréal quickly reminded everyone that they’re the team to beat. They kicked off the week with a statement win over the Frost before taking down the Charge in Québec City. What’s more, their power play has come alive and now has four goals on its last eight opportunities. They were previously just 4-for-34 on the season. This week will bring a different dynamic, as they’re set to play the first back-to-back games of the PWHL season. Luckily for the Victoire, they’re both at home against teams they should be able to beat. However, on the flip side of that, Ottawa and especially Toronto need the points more, so Montréal must be prepared for tough battles on both nights.

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

Thompson turns to her right to make a pass along the blueline. She is wearing a white home uniform.
Claire Thompson makes a pass during a game against Montréal. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-1)

This Week’s Results:

  • Fri, Jan 17 @ MON- 4-2 L
  • Tue, Jan 21 vs OTT- 1-0 L

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sun, Jan 26 vs BOS- 2 p.m. CT, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (FanDuel Sports Network North, NESN, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Tue, Jan 28 vs TOR- 6 p.m. CT, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (FanDuel Sports Network North, Amazon Prime, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy is a temperamental diva who doesn’t let anything stand in her way. That also sums up the Frost’s season pretty well, as they’ve had their ups and downs (this week being a big down), but they keep rallying and sit second in the league by raw points. However, like Miss Piggy, they want to be the best and don’t plan to settle for anything less. Maybe she can give them some karate tips to help them.

My Miss Piggy GIF probably sums up the Frost’s feelings about this week pretty well. They suffered two regulation losses and have only hung onto this second-place spot because the Sirens didn’t play. They haven’t been playing terrible hockey for the most part, but it has also left a lot to be desired. It’s not hard to imagine the Frost will rally for at least one win this week, but if they continue to struggle all week, it’ll be cause for concern.

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

Eldridge lifts her right leg, raises her stick, and pumps her fists in celebration behind the goal. She is wearing a teal home uniform.
Jessie Eldridge celebrates a goal against Toronto. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-)

This Week’s Results:

  • No games this week

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, Jan 25 @ TOR- 2 p.m. ET, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON (MSG, CBC, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Monday, Jan 27 @ OTT- 7 p.m. ET, TD Place, Ottawa, ON (MSG2, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Rizzo the Rat

The Sirens may not have played this week, but they’ll always get to be part of the rankings. Rizzo had several small roles throughout the Muppet catalog, but it wasn’t until he stole the show in a starring role in The Muppet Christmas Carol that most people learned the wise-cracking rat's name. The Sirens also know something about toiling in the shadows before making it. New York was terrible last year, but they’ve made a lot of noise this season thanks to the show-stealing trio of Sarah Fillier, Alex Carpenter, and Jessie Eldridge lighting the lamp frequently (and luckily not the rat). Also, don’t forget about last season’s pizza rats nickname. I rest my case.

In the spirit of fairness, I'm continuing my trend of not moving a team in the rankings who didn’t play this week. It meant I was a bit overly mean to two of the teams below them, but the Sirens don’t deserve to plummet just because they didn’t play. Anyway, the Sirens have a big upcoming week as they take on the Sceptres, who are getting desperate, and the Charge, who sit one point ahead of them but have played two more games. These are points the Sirens need to bank to keep pace in the playoff picture. To throw an interesting wrench into the picture, they’re playing the Sceptres at a nearly sold-out Scotiabank Arena (just 144 standing-room-only tickets remained as of 6 p.m. yesterday). The largest crowd the Sirens have played before this season is 8,022 back in Minnesota’s home opener, so it will be interesting to see how the team handles the added pressure from a huge, hostile crowd. I imagine they'll be fine, but it's something to note.

#4. Boston Fleet (3-2-2-4, 15 points)

Five Fleet players celebrate a goal with a tight group hug. None are facing the camera, and they are wearing green home uniforms.
Boston Fleet players celebrate a goal against Toronto. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Rankings: 4(-)

This Week’s Results:

  • Wed, Jan 22 vs TOR- 4-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sun, Jan 26 @ MIN- 3 p.m. ET, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (NESN, FanDuel Sports Network North, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Gonzo the Great

Known for his unorthodox performances that tend to end in disaster, Gonzo would fit in just right on the Fleet. It’s hard to decide what exactly they are (much like no one knows what exactly Gonzo is), and more often than not, they show a flash of potential but shoot themselves in the foot. That said, they have been getting better recently, just as Gonzo settled down and had fewer disastrously chaotic incidents as the Muppet filmography wore on.

The Fleet needed to pull off a regulation win this week, and that’s just what they did. They finally returned home after 36 days between games at the Tsongas Center and took down the flailing Sceptres, who trail them in the standings and had previously beaten them twice. They now sit just one point out of fourth place (although the Sirens have a game in hand) and two out of third (and they have a game in hand over the Charge). If they can continue to build off this week’s win, they’ll have a good chance to get back into the playoff picture before long. However, if they quickly return to their old ways, it’s probably time for something bigger than the Girard-Saulnier swap.

#5. Ottawa Charge (5-0-2-5, 17 points)

Five Charge players skate in a jagged line towards the bench. They are all facing the camera and wearing white away uniforms.
Ottawa Charge players skate to celebrate a goal against Minnesota at their bench. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (-)

This Week’s Results:

  • Sun, Jan 19 @ MON- 2-1 L
  • Tue, Jan 21 @ MIN- 1-0 W

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Mon, Jan 27 vs NYC- 7 p.m. ET, TD Place, Ottawa, ON (TSN, MSG2, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Wed, Jan 29 @ MON- 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew makes a lot of nifty things, but they tend to malfunction spectacularly. Similarly, the Charge show flashes of being good and Emerance Maschmeyer is having an MVP-caliber season, but their offense (and sometimes defense, but Maschmeyer helps hide those mistakes) is a major problem. Maybe together, they could create something smart and fully functional.

The Charge had an ok week and are one of the teams I feel mean keeping so low. That said, while they got a regulation win over a higher-ranked team, it was a largely uninspired game from both teams. There’s really no other way to describe a game that ended 1-0 and only had 41 combined shots. Ottawa has only scored three goals three times this season and has yet to tally more, and it’s something they need to figure out soon. The league is too talented to continue planning on Maschmeyer playing lights-out so you can win games 2-1 (and often with lucky goals) while getting outshot. 

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

Miller looks forward from her wing spot on the hashmarks of a circle. She is leaning on her stick prepared for the puck to drop and wearing a white away uniform.
Hannah Miller prepares for a faceoff against Boston. Photo courtesy of the PWHL.

Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (-)

This Week’s Results:

  • Wed, Jan 22 @ BOS- 4-1 L

Upcoming Schedule:

  • Sat, Jan 25 vs NYC- 2 p.m. ET, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON (CBC, MSG, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Tue, Jan 28 @ MIN- 7 p.m. ET, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (Amazon Prime, FanDuel Sports Network North, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)
  • Thu, Jan 30 @ MON- 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel, thepwhl.com)

Muppet: Beaker

Beaker is the perpetually suffering assistant to Dr. Honeydew, and while it feels cruel to assign him to more suffering, there’s no better fit than the Sceptres. Everything is blowing up in their faces this season, even if it seems like it should work just fine.

It seems silly to say this just 11 games into the season, but it’s almost time to hit the panic button in Toronto. They can’t score and they can’t defend. Kristen Campbell has had a tough season (although the defense is also heavily to blame), and while rookie Raygan Kirk has been better, head coach Troy Ryan seems reluctant to play her much. The scoring should at least improve when Natalie Spooner returns, but it’s not a great strategy to try to outscore your problems every game. Something has to give.

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