PWHL Power Rankings: Week 13 (04/22-04/28)

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

Somehow, it's already the final week of the PWHL season. It’s been as wild and competitive as predicted, to the point where the final game may determine the final playoff spot. Toronto and Montréal have secured the top two spots, but the competition remains fierce for #3 and #4, with Boston, Minnesota, and Ottawa all still in the hunt. The race caused some shuffling in the rankings this week, including perhaps an unfair drop, but the times called for it. Buckle up for a wild last week of the season!

For this week's theme, I decided to go with Disney villains. I've already done a bunch of Disney themes but realized I hadn't done anything evil, which felt wrong because some of Disney’s most memorable characters are villains. Since I won’t have time to do them as separate themes, villains from regular Disney and Disney/Pixar movies were fair game. So, I hope you enjoy yet another trip into the movies of your childhood, and get ready for a grand power rankings finale next week!

Note: These rankings only take into account the games played between 04/22-04/28. Two other games have been played since, but they will be included in next week’s installment. As such, all team records and point totals are accurate as of the evening of 4/28, but some have since changed.

#1. Toronto (11-4-0-7, 41 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Sun, Apr 28 @ NYC- 6-2 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Wed, May 1 vs MIN- 7 p.m. EDT, Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, ON (TSN, Bally Sports North, PWHL Youtube Channel, Women’s Sports Network)
• Sun, May 5 vs OTT- 7 p.m. EDT, Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, ON (TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Syndrome (The Incredibles)

Syndrome did not start as a bad guy. It wasn’t until Mr. Incredible doubted him and he couldn't prove himself as a hero that he decided to become the villain that ends all superheroes. Likewise, Toronto started the season with few believing they could top the PWHL, and that belief was reinforced at the beginning of the season. However, then they went on an absurd 11-game win streak and are locked into the top seed in the playoffs (but more on that next week). Sometimes doubting someone can be the most dangerous thing you can do. 

There's little left to say for Toronto. Natalie Spooner and Kristen Campbell remain the headliners, but Toronto has rounded out their game over the past few months and are just playing good hockey. They continue to prove it was their slow start, not the wild win streak, that was a fluke. They’re at the top of their game heading into the playoffs, and they are being rewarded with the opportunity to pick their playoff opponent. The vibes are off the charts in Toronto.

#2. Montréal (10-3-5-5, 41 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Weds, Apr 24 vs NYC- 5-2 W
• Sat, Apr 27 @ OTT- 2-0 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sat, May 4 @ BOS- 3:30 p.m. EDT, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (RDS2, NESN, Sportsnet Pittsburgh, GEM, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Jafar (Aladdin)

Poulin, Poulin she's our girl if she can't do it OH NO! Like Genie-backed Jafar, Montréal is an extremely powerful team that beat teams in many ways this season. However, even once Jafar became the most powerful genie in the world, he had one little flaw: being tied to a tiny lamp for all eternity, reliant on someone else to eventually wish him free. Montréal’s fatal flaw is a little different, but apparently, they can’t function properly without their captain. When they lost her to injury, the whole team took a step back and was not playing to their potential. However, immediately upon her return, everything went back to normal. So, as long as she stays healthy, they’ll stay free of their trap. However, if she goes down again, the whole team might be headed back into their teeny tiny living space, waiting for a savior.

After a four-game skid (their only major losing streak of the season), Montreal is back and better than ever. The skaters are clicking on all cylinders and Desbiens has been a brick wall. Despite the skid, they still managed to become the second team to clinch a playoff spot and they’ve since locked down the second seed. They faced some adversity and came out on the other side better, which makes what was already perhaps the best-constructed team in the PWHL even scarier.

#3. Ottawa (8-1-6-7, 32 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 4 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

• Weds, Apr 24 vs BOS- 3-2 SOW
• Sat, Apr 27 vs MTL- 2-0 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• Tue, April 30 @ NYC- 7 p.m. EDT, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (TSN, MSG, PWHL Youtube Channel)
• Sun, May 5 @ TOR- 7 p.m. EDT, Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, ON (TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Hopper (A Bug's Life)

In A Bug's Life, Hopper relied on intimidation to keep the ants in line. He knew he was outnumbered and it was over if they ever realized their strength, so he scared them into submission. Meanwhile, Ottawa wanted other teams to believe they had the fourth playoff seed locked up last week, and that it was hopeless for them to fight back. However, that is not the case. Boston realized they weren’t dead yet and rallied, while Ottawa has been unable to win enough to put them away. It begs the question: was Ottawa ever really in as solid control as we thought, or was Boston just allowing themselves to be pushed around?

This week started so promising for Ottawa, as they beat Boston in a shootout. It was their first extra-time win of the season, and it could not have come at a better time. The final playoff spot finally seemed more secure, and all Ottawa had to do was get one more win. However, then they lost to Montréal (and more importantly, New York, but more on that next week). Now, barring a Boston regulation loss on Saturday, it will all come down to the final game of the entire PWHL season. No pressure, right?

#4. Boston (7-4-3-9, 32 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (+1)

This Week’s Results:

• Weds, Apr 24 @ OTT- 3-2 SOL
• Sat, Apr 27 @ MIN- 2-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sat, May 4 vs MTL- 3:30 p.m. EDT, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA (NESN, Sportsnet Pittsburgh, RDS2, PWHL Youtube Channel, GEM)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)

The Emperor's New Groove began with Kuzco firing Yzma. However, Yzma refused to go away quietly and vowed to kill Kuzco, but she ultimately only succeeded in turning him into a llama and herself into a kitten. Similarly, this week started disastrously for Boston. They lost to Ottawa in what looked like a devastating blow to their playoff hopes, although they still managed a point. However, Boston has refused to go away quietly. They eeked out a huge regulation win over Minnesota on Saturday, and thanks to some Ottawa losses, they’re alive until their final game. Will they be able to finish the job unlike Yzma, or will they also be left wondering what could’ve been if only things went right in the beginning? 

Boston should be long dead. They've been on the brink of elimination since the international break, and yet here they are, still scrapping their way towards the final spot. They’ve secured 10 out of a possible 12 points since the international break, and it's admirable how far they’ve come. It could still be too little too late, but at least they’ve been playing closer to their potential. They need one more point than Ottawa this weekend, so a regulation win on Saturday is vital to put themselves in the best position possible.

#5. Minnesota (8-4-3-7, 35 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-2)

This Week’s Results:

• Sat, Apr 27 vs BOS- 2-1 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• Wed, May 1 @ TOR- 7 p.m. EDT, Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, ON (Bally Sports North, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel, Women’s Sports Network)
• Sat, May 4 @ NYC- 12 p.m. CDT, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY (Bally Sports North, MSG, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

Gaston is undeniably a strong man. Minnesota is undeniably a strong team. However, Gaston’s ego consistently got the best of him, as he was under the impression he was untouchable and no one was better. Likewise, Minnesota perhaps spent too much time looking toward the playoffs thinking they were safe, and it may cost them a playoff spot. They entered the international break just one point away from clinching, and four games later, they’re still there. Will they wake up in time, or will their insistence they were good lead them to the same fate as Gaston?

Does Minnesota deserve to have dropped two spots in this week's rankings? Not really. However, Boston and Ottawa deserve to rise and Minnesota can’t even muster a point lately so here we are. Things are looking sketchy in Minnesota. Sure, they're still only one point from clinching the playoffs, but this should have been done a while ago. They’ve been extremely close in two games, but last-minute collapses have cost them even a loser point. They’re not necessarily playing poorly, but the killer instinct is inexplicably missing. They need to figure it out quickly, or what looked like a surefire playoff team might be awfully sad come Sunday night.

#6. New York (3-4-3-12, 20 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Weds, Apr 24 @ MTL- 5-2 L
• Sun, Apr 28 vs TOR- 6-2 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• Tue, April 30 vs OTT- 7 p.m. EDT, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (MSG, TSN, PWHL Youtube Channel)
• Sat, May 4 vs MIN- 1 p.m. EDT, UBS Arena, Elmont, NY (MSG, Bally Sports North, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Disney/Pixar Villain: Randall (Monsters Inc.)

As revealed throughout Monsters Inc., Randall was set up to save the company. Mr. Waternoose hired him to design a scream-extractor machine and steal a child to get enough screams to save the company by powering all of Monstropolis. However, their plan was flawed and Mike and Sully managed to blow it up and ultimately take Randall (and Mr. Waternoose) down. Likewise, going into the season, New York looked like one of the strongest teams in the PWHL. They had good forwards, good defenders, and outstanding goaltending. However, the resulting team has been anything but, with only the goaltending, Alex Carpenter, and Ella Shelton consistently showing up. The team never appeared cohesive, and the resulting season was disastrous. 

Well, New York finally died this past week. They've been all but out of the playoff race for a while, but Toronto hammered the final nail in the coffin on Sunday. However, in good news, this allowed them a shot at the first overall pick, which they have since acquired (but more on that next week). It looks like a lot of big changes will come to New York next season, and hopefully, the chance to select Sarah Fillier is the beginning of better days ahead.