Last season, Montreal was the puzzle the Fleet just couldn’t seem to solve.
The Victoire won four of the teams’ six meetings in 2024-25, and seemed on pace to repeat their success against the Fleet to start this season with wins in both of the teams’ preseason games against each other.
But the Fleet bucked that trend in their season opener, beating Montreal, 2-0, in front of a crowd of 5,166 at Lowell’s Tsongas Center.
Susanna Tapani scored in the first minute and captain Megan Keller added an insurance goal in the third period. Aerin Frankel made 25 saves to preserve her first shutout of the season.
Boston was hot from the jump and broke away just one minute into the first period when veteran forward Jamie Lee Rattray corralled a high puck at the blue line and brought it down to her stick before sending a pass to Tapani, who carried it into the circle sent a pass toward the crease of Ann-Renee Desbiens, the reigning PWHL goalie of the year.
After moving through a scrum of players, the puck bounced off Montreal forward Shiann Darkangelo’s skate and snuck past Desbiens’s outstretched left leg to give the Fleet a 1-0 advantage just 1:13 into the game.
Montreal — which also boasts the reigning MVP and league leader in goals Marie-Philip Poulin — tested Frankel nine times in the first frame. The Victoire’s two biggest chances came within the final 10 seconds of the period when the Victoire’s previously dormant offense came to life and forced the Fleet goaltender to make two saves in quick succession.
Montreal stayed hot to open the second period and put the Tsongas Center crowd on edge, but fans leapt to their feet when Keller sent a rebound shot into the back of the net with eight minutes remaining in the second period. Their cheers quickly turned to boos as officials waved it off because Sophie Shirley made contact with Desbiens in the crease.
The Fleet then had another prime opportunity as the second period waned when Poulin went to the box to serve a double minor penalty, but Boston didn’t manage a single shot on Desbiens before the end of the frame.
The Fleet returned from intermission with 50 seconds remaining on the power play, and Montreal killed it off, but their return to even strength didn’t last long.
Poulin hit Teresa Schafzahl into the boards and went to the box for illegal body checking, and Jill Saulnier jumped to Schafzahl’s defense and started a brawl with Laura Stacey, earning Saulnier and Stacey each a trip to the penalty box as well.
Boston capitalized on the player-up opportunity, when a bit of chaos in front of the net allowed Keller to poke a loose puck past Desbiens, who was out of position near the right post, to make it 2-0.
The Fleet will play Saturday in Toronto before returning to face Vancouver at Agganis Arena on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. (NESN).
Emma Healy can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @ByEmmaHealy.
