How Can the New York Sirens Turn It Around?

Sound the sirens, because the PWHL's New York Sirens seem to be sinking.

With 11 games left in the regular season, the New York Sirens are on a downward spiral and need to course correct soon if they hope to make the Walter Cup Playoffs. The Sirens have lost seven straight—their last win came on January 27—but currently, miraculously, sit only eight points out of fourth place.

The Sirens have the second-lowest goals-for in the league (43, behind only Ottawa's 42) and are tied for allowing the second-most goals against (52, behind Minnesota & tied with Toronto). Out of 19 games this season, they've won just seven, four of which have come in regulation.

Amid their current skid, the Sirens have lost a whopping four times to the Boston Fleet, while also surrendering wins to the Montréal Victoire twice, and the Toronto Sceptres once. They've been outscored 26-9 and have gone 2-for-27 on the power play, a measly 7.4 percent.

Still, there's a sense of hope among the team. The season is far from over, and with the PWHL's three-point system, every game—and every point—counts. The Sirens play three of their remaining games against the Ottawa Charge, who sit just ahead of them in the standings. Those three games in particular could prove to be very important when it comes to who makes the cut for playoffs and who doesn't—or, on the flip side, who's looking at the first-overall pick thanks to the Gold Plan.

How can the Sirens make sure they're in one of those top four spots when the season ends?

Focus on Special Teams

Special teams have historically been a strong spot for the Sirens this season, even if their recent record over the last seven games doesn't show it. They have the second-best penalty kill in the league (84.9 percent) and the third-best power play (17.6 percent). The Sirens have also had the most power play opportunities of any team, and have allowed a league-low eight power play goals against.

All of that means nearly a third of their goals this season have come on special teams. The slightest boost in their power play, which could use some rejuvenation after its recent rut, could really be a difference-maker for this team.

Secondary Scoring Step Up

The Sirens' top three forwards - Sarah Fillier, Jessie Eldridge & Alex Carpenter - are very good. Fillier is second in the PWHL for scoring, and the trio combined have 20 goals and 28 assists. Carpenter recently returned to the lineup after missing a few games with injury, and her absence was certainly noticeable.

That said, the Sirens would really benefit from their other lines producing more offensively. Abby Roque is the only other forward who's hit double digits in points, but others like Jade Downie-Landry, Elle Hartje & Chloé Aurard have to start finding the back of the net, too. Downie-Landry had 13 points in 24 games last season, but has only two in 19 games this season.

Be Hard to Play Against

In the team's postgame media availability after Sunday's loss, both head coach Greg Fargo and Fillier noted the team was "hard to play against" that day and that there were things the team could build on after a game like that.

"We saw a lot of what we want Sirens hockey to be today," Fillier said. "We were super physical, hard to play against so there’s a lot of good things to take—and we got a point out of it."

The Sirens have so far done a good job of managing the physical side of the game, while maintaining a balance so as not to take an excess of penalties. Continuing to define their team and how they want to play the game, and finding their team's identity, will only benefit them in the long run.

The Sirens return to action on Wednesday, February 26, visiting the Ottawa Charge for a 7 pm ET puck drop.