Lina Ljungblom’s First Career Goal Lifts Victoire to 1-0 Win Over Fleet in Boston

The Montréal Victoire held on for a 1-0 win over the Boston Fleet in a tight defensive battle on Saturday night at TD Garden, with Lina Ljungblom scoring her first career game-winning goal to secure the victory. In front of a sold-out crowd of 17,850, the league’s top two teams delivered a high-stakes showdown that saw both Ann-Renée Desbiens and Aerin Frankel shine between the pipes.

Ljungblom’s goal came at 5:52 of the third period, ending a scoreless stretch of 45 minutes. The play started with Laura Stacey exiting the penalty box after serving a minor for tripping. She received a breakout pass from Nicole Gosling and fed Ljungblom, who one-timed the puck past Frankel into the top right corner for the game-winner. Stacey finished the night with an assist and six shots on goal, leading all skaters.

Desbiens made 20 saves to earn her seventh shutout of the season, tying her with Frankel for the league lead. Frankel, meanwhile, stopped 18 of 19 shots before being pulled for an extra attacker in the final three minutes. The two goalies continue to push each other and the PWHL’s record books, with Desbiens now at a .956 save percentage and 1.08 goals-against average over her last five games.

With the win, Montréal remains atop the standings with 58 points, four points ahead of the Fleet. The Victoire have now won six straight games and are 15-2-2-0 in their last 19 contests dating back to January 21. Boston, which had won five in a row, fell to 54 points and must now regroup for a crucial matchup with the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday.

“This was a playoff game,” said Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. “The more moments we have like that are proof and evidence that in those big moments, everybody can contribute.”

Boston head coach Kris Sparre, returning to the bench after a one-game absence, praised the atmosphere and effort. “It’s a great environment,” he said. “I think our team was really excited about this game and the moment.”

The game was the second-largest U.S. arena attendance in women’s hockey history, trailing only the 18,006 at Madison Square Garden last week. Boston became the fifth team to sell out a game at an NHL venue in their market, joining Montréal, Toronto, Seattle, and New York.

Montréal will look to close out the regular season with a win when they host Boston at Place Bell on Friday. Boston’s upcoming game against Minnesota could have significant playoff implications, with both teams vying for the top seed in the standings.

UPCOMING GAMES

Montréal: Friday, April 17 vs. Boston (7 p.m. ET)

Boston: Wednesday, April 15 vs. Minnesota (7 p.m. ET)