BOSTON (Interstat) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 20 saves for a shutout and Lina Ljungblom scored the only goal as the Montreal Victoire beat the Boston Fleet 1-0 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 11 in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game. Montreal, the visiting team, improved to 20-7. Boston, the home team, fell to 19-7. The game stayed scoreless until the third period, when Ljungblom broke through and Desbiens made the lead stand.

Ljungblom scored at 5:52 of the third period, with assists from Laura Stacey and Nicole Gosling. The goal came shortly after Montreal killed a tripping penalty to Stacey that began at 3:41 of the third. Stacey returned to the ice and helped set up the decisive play. Ljungblom finished with two shots on goal. Stacey recorded one assist, six shots on goal, two penalty minutes and one hit. Gosling added one assist, two shots on goal and one hit.

Desbiens was Montreal’s top star, stopping all 20 shots she faced. Boston pressured at times but could not beat her. Boston center Alina Müller had two shots on goal and four hits. Liz Schepers recorded three shots on goal. Haley Winn contributed four shots on goal and three hits. Boston’s attack generated chances, but Montreal’s defense limited second opportunities. Montreal’s Tamara Giaquinto had two shots on goal, and Erin Ambrose had one hit. Shiann Darkangelo also appeared for the Victoire.

Montreal’s penalty kill was busy. Dara Greig was called for tripping at 9:13 of the first period, and Alexandra Labelle received a boarding penalty at 11:45 of the first. In the second period, Jade Downie-Landry and Boston’s Riley Brengman received roughing penalties at 5:39. Later in the second, Hayley Scamurra and Boston’s Ella Huber were whistled for roughing at 17 minutes. Montreal also received a too-many-players penalty at 18:29 of the second. Stacey’s third-period tripping call was the final penalty of the game. Montreal killed off all four Boston power plays and kept the Fleet off the scoreboard. The roughing calls at 5:39 and 17 minutes created four-on-four play, but neither team scored during those stretches.

Boston’s best chances came during its power-play opportunities, but Desbiens and the Montreal defense held firm. The Fleet generated shots from the outside and around the net but could not find an equalizer. Montreal’s goal stood as the difference in a game that remained scoreless until the third period. The Victoire protected the lead over the final minutes and finished off the shutout. Boston pulled its goaltender late for an extra attacker, but Montreal kept the puck out of its net. The Fleet kept pressing in the final period, but the Victoire did not allow a clean look at the net.

The result gave Montreal another road victory and kept the Victoire ahead of Boston in the standings. Montreal had won its previous five games, including a 4-1 win over Seattle, a 3-0 win at Ottawa, a 3-0 win over Vancouver, a 3-1 win over New York and a 3-0 win at Minnesota. Boston had won five straight before the loss, with a 5-1 win at Vancouver, a 4-2 win at Minnesota, a 4-0 win at Toronto, a 2-0 win over Vancouver and a 3-0 win over Seattle. The teams had split their previous meetings this season, with Boston winning one in overtime and another in regulation. Montreal will host Boston in its next game, while Boston will host Minnesota in its next contest.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Boston with a 50.3 percent probability to win. The projection gave Boston a slight edge before the puck dropped, but Desbiens and Montreal delivered the shutout. Montreal will return home to face Boston next, and Boston will look to bounce back against Minnesota at home.