LAVAL, Que. – Marie-Philip Poulin had a goal and an assist to become the first PWHL player to reach 50 career points, Abby Roque produced one highlight-reel goal and two assists against her former team, and the Montreal Victoire shut out the New York Sirens 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 33 shots and Natalie Mlynkova also scored for Montreal (1-0-0-1) before 8,391 at Place Bell. Laura Stacey had two assists and Maggie Flaherty added an empty-net goal.
The Victoire, which topped the league standings last season but fell in the first round of the playoffs, lost 2-0 to the Boston Fleet in their season opener Sunday.
Kayle Osborne made 26 saves for New York (1-0-0-1). The Sirens began their season with a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Charge after finishing last in each of the PWHL’s first two seasons.
Mlynkova, with her first PWHL goal, deflected a point shot from Erin Ambrose on the power play 30 seconds into the second period for Montreal’s first goal of the season.
Poulin doubled the lead with 1:15 remaining in the middle frame, finishing off a backhand feed from Stacey after Roque’s heads-up pass sent them on a 2-on-1.
Roque, who played her first two seasons with the Sirens, then converted a between-the-legs breakaway goal at 13:26 in the third for her first with the Victoire.
Victoire: The 34-year-old Poulin, last season’s PWHL MVP, has 30 goals and 21 assists in 53 regular-season games. Montreal’s captain is also the first player to reach the 30-goal mark.
Sirens: A warm welcome for Kristin O’Neill in her return to Montreal. The former Victoire centre was traded to New York in a swap for Roque over the off-season and received a loud ovation during a first-period video tribute.
Desbiens made the save of the night, sliding across her crease to deny Sirens forward Paetyn Levis, who pounced on a loose puck sitting before a wide-open net in the blue paint.
Desbiens recorded her second PWHL shutout and first since the league’s inaugural season. She won goaltender of the year last season without posting a shutout.
Victoire: Host the Toronto Sceptres on Dec. 7.
Sirens: Host the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.
