On Wednesday, March 25, the New York Sirens took on the Seattle Torrent at Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, for another Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Takeover Tour game. 10,006 fans gathered in the stands to watch as the Torrent scored three goals in the first period.
The Sirens tried to make a comeback with a goal in the third, but the Torrent scored an empty-net goal in the final minutes to beat the Sirens 4-1.
Fillier Ensured it Wasn’t a Shutout
The final frame rolled around, and the Sirens were still down by three goals. Five minutes into the third period, Casey O’Brien picked up a loose puck in the Sirens’ zone. She took a shot on net, and Corinne Schroeder made the initial save. Sarah Fillier came up and picked up the rebound. She sent the puck into the net to put the Sirens on the board.
This goal marked Filler’s fifth of the season and brings her point total to 16. She currently has the highest point total on New York, and O’Brien is just under her with 15. Last season, Fillier had 29 points in 30 games, averaging just about a point per game. She has reached her current point total in 21 games. Fillier might be disappointed in her performance this season, but she should still hold her head high with all she has accomplished thus far. There are still eight more games in the season; there’s no reason to slow down just yet.
Sirens’ Injuries Continue to Hurt Them
After missing two games with an injury, O’Brien returned to the lineup. As mentioned above, she recorded an assist on Fillier’s goal. Unfortunately, the Sirens didn’t have a healthy team, though. Kristyna Kaltounkova was out of the lineup due to an injury. On top of that, Maddi Wheeler was out of the lineup to attend to a family matter.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Torrent’s 4-1 Win Over Sirens
The injury bug has bitten the Sirens this season, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping. They are down Taylor Girard for the rest of the season, and every time a player returns, it seems like another comes out.
In this game, the Sirens were down a forward, only dressing 11, but they had eight defenders in the lineup. Although they had an extra defense pairing, the Sirens didn’t have enough scoring power to take down the Torrent.
Sirens Have Dropped All Three Road Games So Far
The Sirens have now played three games of their four-game road trip, and they have dropped every single one. They dropped the game on March 15 in Denver, 4-3 against the Minnesota Frost. New York then traveled up to take on the Vancouver Goldeneyes on March 18, where they lost 5-2. Although the Sirens had a full week to recover and get ready for this game, it resulted in another loss on neutral ice for them.
The Sirens can’t afford to lose games like this anymore. The playoff standings are tight, and while they aren’t out of the picture just yet, they sit in sixth place with 27 points. If they picked up the three points in this game, they would have tied Ottawa with 30 points and would have been just under the Toronto Sceptres, who are in the final playoff spot with 31 points. New York still has a chance to make it into their first PWHL postseason; let’s hope they can make some magic happen and win these last few important games.
Sirens Have Another Takeover Tour Game on Saturday
The Sirens will close out the road trip with their final Takeover Tour game of the season in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday, March 28. The Sirens will take on the Montreal Victoire, and this will also be the last game of the season series between the two teams.
