LAVAL (Interstat) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 22 saves for her shutout, and Montreal Victoire scored three unanswered goals to beat Toronto Sceptres 3-0 on Jan. 28 at Place Bell in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game. Desbiens, a 5-foot-9 goaltender from Clermont, Quebec, was named the game’s top star after turning aside every shot she faced. Montreal improved to 10-5. Toronto dropped to 5-11. The Victoire controlled the game after a scoreless opening stretch, capitalizing on penalties and offensive-zone pressure to pull away.

Toronto’s first-period discipline became an issue. Renata Fast was penalized for holding at 12:09, and Allie Munroe was called for cross-checking at 13:10. The Sceptres killed both penalties, but Montreal broke through at 16:33 when Natálie Mlýnková scored. Skylar Irving and Dara Greig assisted on the goal. Mlýnková, a 5-foot left wing, finished with one goal and one shot on goal. Irving recorded one assist and two penalty minutes, while Greig added one assist and one shot on goal. Montreal led 1-0 after the first period.

The second period brought more Montreal pressure and more Toronto penalties. Irving was called for high sticking at 8:27. Munroe then received a delay-of-game penalty at 13:36. Montreal struck again at 14:25 when Marie-Philip Poulin scored, with Laura Stacey and Nicole Gosling assisting. Poulin, a 5-foot-7 center, had one goal and five shots on goal. Stacey, a 5-foot-10 right wing, contributed one assist and five shots on goal. The goal gave Montreal a two-goal advantage and forced Toronto to chase the game.

Toronto’s penalty troubles continued when Fast was sent off for interference at 16:26. Montreal quickly took advantage. Shiann Darkangelo scored at 18:06, with Hayley Scamurra and Maggie Flaherty assisting. Darkangelo, a 5-foot-11 center, finished with one goal and two shots on goal. Scamurra, a 5-foot-8 center, had one assist and four shots on goal. The goal gave Montreal a three-goal cushion and effectively sealed the result. Desbiens and the Victoire defense handled the rest, keeping Toronto off the scoreboard in the third period.

Additional Montreal players generated offense throughout. Jessica DiGirolamo recorded four shots on goal from the blue line. Abby Roque also had four shots on goal. Their pressure helped Montreal maintain possession and limit Toronto’s transition chances. Toronto’s best opportunities came early, but the Sceptres could not solve Desbiens. The shutout was the latest strong performance for Montreal, which has leaned on Desbiens during a solid stretch. Montreal has won three of its last four games and sits at 10-5. Montreal’s 10-5 mark keeps it among the league’s stronger teams.

Toronto’s road struggles continued. The Sceptres have lost three of their last four and fell to 5-11. Earlier in the season, Toronto earned a 2-1 win at Montreal in the most recent head-to-head meeting. Montreal had won two of the previous three matchups, including a 3-1 home victory and a 2-1 overtime road win. Toronto entered the game after losses to Vancouver and Seattle. Montreal came in following a 3-1 home win over Ottawa and a 2-1 overtime victory at Minnesota.

Montreal will next play at New York, while Toronto is set to travel to Seattle and Vancouver. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Toronto in early March. The Victoire’s balanced scoring and Desbiens’ steady play made the difference in a game that remained tight early before Montreal pulled away. Toronto could not convert on its power-play chances and struggled to sustain offensive pressure after falling behind.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Montreal with a 59.8 percent probability to win entering the game. The projection proved accurate as Montreal led after the first period and never trailed.