PHF Weekend Review: Double dominance by the Six over the Riveters

The Toronto Six were in desperate need of a response coming into this weekend. After getting blown out in their last game by the Boston Pride 8-2, the team was surely feeling that instinct professional athletes feel when they get knocked down: don’t stay down.

This weekend’s pair of games were against the Metropolitan Riveters, and in Toronto as the Six were returning from their short road trip in Boston. The Rivs were coming into the weekend after a bye week and having split each of their weekends so far, winning one game and losing the other, for a total record of 2 wins and 2 losses.

At 3-2 so far, the Six were probably on paper the team with the better chances this past weekend.

The first period of this game went entirely scoreless. It got interesting though. Midway through the second period, after the Riveters got the lead first on a goal from their captain, the veteran Madison Packer, my personal favourite T6 player, Taylor Woods, tied the game up:

Then, later on in the game, it was Lindsay Eastwood who gave the Six the lead that would take them to victory. After breaking out of the penalty box, she flew into the offensive zone and buried the puck five-hole for her 3rd goal of the season:

Eastwood’s combination of size, speed and skill is why she’s a dominant force for Toronto on their top pairing.

This 2-1 win was hard-earned, but encouraging for the Six after the previous weekend’s pair of defeats.

Looking to continue their success from the day before, the Six hosted the Riveters once again, this time on Sunday afternoon.

This game had some scoring early on, as the effervescent Mikyla Grant-Mentis (MGM) opened the scoring for Toronto with a slick backhander while falling over:

The Six later, in the middle of the second period, were awarded a penalty shot, but Michela Cava wasn’t able to beat the Rivs’ goalie on the attempt:

They followed it up a few minutes later, though, with a proper powerplay goal from an Emma Woods clapper while gliding backwards across the top of the circles:

The Six held on to this lead for the majority of the third period, but then thought the best idea would be to expand on it. So, the game’s two goal scorers already earned themselves a 2-on-0 breakaway and, despite going with the sometimes awkward give-and-go-and-give-it-back play, made no mistake:

As if the weekend’s pair of wins wasn’t good enough, the Six swept the 3 Stars of the weekend to top it off:

If they had 4 stars, Emma Woods probably would have gotten that one, too. If there were 5 stars? Probably that one goes to Taylor Woods. Both of the Woods’ had 1G 1A weekends, but without the GWG, so that’s why the edge for 3rd star probably goes to Lindsay Eastwood.

This was a stellar weekend for fans of the Toronto Six. Hopefully they can keep this form up when they take on the Minnesota Whitecaps this coming weekend. They’ll play at 8pm Eastern on Saturday, and 12pm Eastern on Sunday. See you there, I hope!