Mrázová’s points binge helps Ottawa beat Montreal

Ottawa’s Kateřina Mrázová  (16) has scored at least a point in the last six games. She had three assists on Sunday as Ottawa beat Montreal, 4-2. (Kelly Hagenson photo courtesy PWHL)

Former Connecticut Whale forward Kateřina Mrázová had three assists on Sunday as Ottawa beat Montreal, 4-2 in Professional Women’s Hockey League action.

Mrázová has a team-leading 13 points for Ottawa (5-11) and has scored at least a point in six straight games. She has four goals and five assists in the last six games, including two goals against Minnesota on March 5.

Of the six former Whale players that made opening day rosters in the PWHL, Mrázová has the most points thus far. Boston forward Taylor Girard has scored four goals with two assists (4-2, 6) while Toronto defenseman Allie Munroe has a goal and four assists for five points.

Montreal’s Kennedy Marchment (1-1, 2) and Boston’s Kaleigh Fratkin (1-1, 2) and Boston’s Shiann Darkangelo (0-1, 1) have also earned points this season.

Mrázová’s first assist on Sunday against Montreal (10-7) came with 37 seconds remaining in the first period when captain Brianne Jenner made the game 1-0 with a power play goal.

Mrázová picked up the puck on the half-wall and drifted toward the middle of the ice, pulling coverage with her and allowing Jenner to sneak down from the point. Mrázová sent the puck cross-ice to her captain who was able to find a hole on Ann-Renée Desbiens’ glove side for her third marker of the year. Aneta Tejralová also picked up an assist on the play.

Ottawa extended their lead to 2-0 at the midpoint of the game when Daryl Watts picked up a drop pass from Mrázová at the top of the circle and fired a wrist shot that went off the far post and in. The goal was Watts’ fourth of the year. Jincy Roese started the play by sending the puck to Mrázová on the rush, tallying her fourth point of the season with the assist.

Mrázová’s third assist of the game came shortly after Montréal cut Ottawa’s lead in half midway through the third period.

Boston 3, New York 2
LOWELL, Mass., March 10, 2024 — Hannah Brandt scored twice, including the overtime winner, and Jamie Lee Rattray collected primary assists on both goals as Boston defeated New York 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell before a season-high crowd of 4,607 fans.

It was Brandt’s first multi-point game of the season and the overtime tally was her first PWHL game-winning-goal.

The duo combined for the first goal of the game after a strong forecheck by Rattray created a turnover. Brandt recovered the puck, skating it behind the net before attempting to make a pass out front. The pass deflected off New York goaltender Abbey Levy’s back and into the net, giving the home team a 1-0 lead just 3:57 into the game.

Brandt’s second of the night, at 1:48 of the overtime period, was once again scored after creating a turnover. The forward intercepted a New York pass inside Boston’s blue line, which created a 2-on-1 rush with Rattray. Brandt entered New York’s zone, dropping the puck back to Rattray who took a low shot—Brandt found the rebound on the doorstep, which sealed a victory for the home team.

Boston improves to 7-8 with the win while New York slips to 6-10 and remains in sixth place in the six-team league. New York returns to action on Wednesday, March 20, when they host Montreal in Bridgeport at Total Mortgage Arena at 7 p.m. for the fourth of five games at the arena this season.

PWHL standings
As of Sunday, March 10