Montreal Victoire win 3-2 overtime

Abby Roque scored 2:29 into overtime on May 14 to give the Montreal Victoire a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Charge in Game 1 of the PWHL Walter Cup Finals at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. The goal capped a comeback that was still in doubt until Nicole Gosling tied the game with less than three seconds left in regulation, according to the PWHL game recap. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves as Montreal took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. ### How did Montreal get to overtime at all? Nicole Gosling scored with two seconds remaining in regulation after Ottawa had moved ahead late and appeared set to steal the opener on the road. The PWHL said the tying goal came moments after Montreal forward Laura Stacey was helped off the ice with a lower-body injury. (thepwhl.com) Laura Stacey returned for overtime, and the PWHL said she created traffic in front of the net on the winning sequence. The puck then deflected in off Roque for her second goal of the night. ### Who scored the goals before overtime? Abby Roque scored twice for Montreal, including the overtime winner, according to the league recap and the Associated Press game report. (thepwhl.com) Gosling had the late equalizer for the Victoire. Rebecca Leslie opened the scoring for Ottawa, extending a run in which she has scored the first goal of the Walter Cup Finals in consecutive seasons, according to league social media surfaced in search results. (thepwhl.com) Ottawa carried that lead deep into the game before Montreal’s late push. ### What did Desbiens’ night look like in goal? Ann-Renée Desbiens finished with 23 saves in Montreal’s win, according to the Associated Press and the PWHL recap. Based on the official total of 23 saves on 25 shots against, that works out to a.920 save percentage. (news.google.com) The 23-save total mattered because Ottawa stayed within one shot of taking the opener throughout regulation. Montreal did not pull away, and Desbiens’ work kept the game close enough for Gosling’s late goal to matter. That connection between the save total and the comeback is an inference from the official game result and shot-stopping line. (apnews.com) ### What does the schedule look like from here? Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 2:00 p.m. ET at Place Bell in Laval, according to the PWHL finals schedule. The league’s site lists TSN and RDS in Canada, with ION, the PWHL YouTube channel and the league website carrying the game outside Canada. (apnews.com) Game 3 is set for Monday, May 18, in Ottawa, and Game 4, if necessary, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, at Canadian Tire Centre. Game 5, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET back at Place Bell in Laval. ### Why does the opener matter in this series? (thepwhl.com) Montreal leads the finals 1-0 after a game the PWHL described as a rally past Ottawa on home ice. The Victoire reached the championship round after eliminating Minnesota, while Ottawa advanced after beating Boston, setting up an all-Canadian final. (thepwhl.com) Saturday, May 16, is the next date on the series calendar, with Roque, Desbiens, Gosling and Stacey leading Montreal back onto home ice against Leslie and the Charge before the finals move to Ottawa on May 18. (thepwhl.com)