Another split with the Riveters, this time with a Howard hatty: PHF Weekend Roundup

If you haven’t heard of Brittany Howard yet, you’ve clearly not been watching the PHF this season. She is on an absolute tear with the Toronto Six in her first season with the team, after coming over from the PWHPA. Coming out of this weekend, she is the league leader in points and goals, with 11 goals in 8 games. Second place Jillian Dempsey has 6. She’s been an incredible leader, all around player, with joyous energy, exhilarating speed, and a whip of a wrist shot.

All of that and more was on display this weekend at York Canlan Ice Sports Arena, with the Six taking on the Metropolitan Riveters. The feisty, Rosie-inspired Riveters put up a very tough contest and it was great fun to watch.

This game was both my wife and I’s first PHF game being live in attendance, and my 5-month-old daughter’s first hockey game ever. We had an absolute blast, and the energy in the building was so great. This game was really close and really showed that the Six don’t have a top two place in the standings locked up just yet.

I wanted to highlight this goal against, as Kelly Babstock shows off her strength and skill. I’ve been really impressed with her every time I watch her play; her mix of tenacity and offensive ability is a constant threat to the opposition. The other thing about this highlight is that you can see me in it at the 0:28 mark! I’m in the red sweater and black toque.

As the game went to the end of the 3rd period tied, and overtime didn’t answer anything, it went to a shootout with following results:

The three stars of the game this game report glitched out, so I’ll give my own:

This game was all Toronto Six in the first period, with the Six getting out the gate strong. They scored 3 goals in the opening frame, including the first one on the breakaway from Brittany Howard, her 9th of the season. She had the team’s 3rd goal as well, burying a loose puck in front of the net. And, not to spoil things, but she had the 4th goal as well, in an empty net. Here are all three for your viewing pleasure:

This one ended with the Six scoring two goals late in the 3rd with the desperate Riveters trying to complete the comeback. The Riveters had the game at 3-2 Toronto, scoring one in the second and one in the third to make it interesting, but the Six found a way to hold off that 3rd goal against and get the empty netter, and a powerplay goal for good measure in the last 30 seconds to make it 5-2.

Once again, the game report’s 3 stars are a bit funky, but they nailed the first star. I’ll give my own three stars anyway:

The Six have still only lost 1 game this season in regulation, and that was against the league-leading and 2022 Isobel Cup Champion Boston Pride. Losing those 3 standings points to Boston are playing a big factor early, as the Six sit exactly 3 points back of Boston at this stage. It’ll be interesting to see if last season’s cup finalist Connecticut Whale can string some wins together, they’re currently 11 points back of Toronto but have played 3 less games, which could potentially give them 9 points and threaten Toronto.

This coming weekend the Six are in Buffalo, taking on Mikyla Grant-Mentis and the Beauts, including a rare Friday game on the 16th, and then again on the 17th, both at 7pm Eastern.