Just when it looked like the New York Sirens would soon be out of contention, they have life. The Sirens lost nine straight before winning their last two games, including a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Frost this weekend.
The win came in front of an American record crowd in Detroit. While the league also celebrated their one-millionth fan, the New York Sirens celebrated something else…hope.
Their win over Minnesota brought the Sirens within eight points of a playoff spot, and kept the Frost stalled at 35 points. Minnesota has only five games remaining, meaning they have a possible 15 points on the board if they were to win out. New York has seven games remaining, or the equivalent of 21 available points.
Minnesota’s Schedule Won’t Be Easy
Minnesota plays each team one final time in their last five games of the season. It means they face each of the teams ahead of them in the standings. It also means Ottawa and New York, who remain below Minnesota in the standings, get another chance to steal games. Next up for Minnesota is a game against Montreal. Had first place Montreal faced Minnesota later in the season, Montreal may have rested a few stars. The timing however, means that Minnesota is going to face five games of teams still fighting for playoff points.
After returning from the World Championship break, Minnesota’s first two games are against Ottawa and New York. Those games will certainly be looked at to finalize the playoff standings.
Fillier Continues To Lead The League
The race for PWHL Rookie of the Year appears over. Sarah Fillier continues to lead the league in scoring with 25 points in 23 games. The first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft has managed to put together a strong campaign from start to finish. If New York is going to sneak into the playoffs, she’ll need more support from the Sirens’ secondary scoring. Outside of Fillier, Alex Carpenter, and Jessie Eldridge, the Sirens have struggled to find consistent scoring this season.
