3 Takeaways From Victoire’s 2-1 Win Over Frost in Game 5

On Tuesday, May 12, the Montreal Victoire hosted the Minnesota Frost for Game 5 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) semifinals. Each team won two games, and in a best-of-five series, this was the end-all, be-all for the two teams.

Halfway into the first period, the Victoire were on the board first. Similar to their success, the Frost scored in the middle of the second period to tie the game. An early third-period penalty allowed the Victoire to capitalize and take the lead back with a power-play goal. Since no other goals were scored, the Victoire took a 2-1 victory and is headed to the Walter Cup Finals. 

Poulin Kept Special Teams Strong 

Heading into the final frame, both the Victoire and the Frost had one goal apiece. Two minutes into the third period, Elizabeth Giguere took a seat for hooking, and the Victoire had their first power play of the game. Nicole Gosling held the puck at the blue line and passed it across to Erin Ambrose. She spotted Marie-Philip Poulin near the goal and passed the puck to her. Her shot hit the corner of the net, banking off the goalpost and into the net for the lead. 

This power-play goal marked Poulin’s second of the postseason and her fifth point overall. The Victoire have the best power-play percentage of the playoffs with a 25.0% success rate. They have scored on three of their 12 power-play opportunities in the playoffs. As the Victoire continue on to the Walter Cup Finals, they will need to utilize their strength in their special teams to make a run for the Cup. 

Desbiens Had Some Incredible Saves

Ann-Renee Desbiens has been living up to her nickname of the “brick wall” the entire series, but nothing was quite like her performance in Game 5. She made a total of 25 saves on 26 shots, earning her a save percentage (SV%) of .962. This was her highest SV% of the series, aside from her shutout in Game 2.

Desbiens had two incredible saves in this game. In the first period, Peyton Anderson took a shot, and it appeared as if the puck had made it across the goal line. However, Desbiens was quicker than the puck. She turned around, spotted the puck, and quickly brushed it back, making the save. 

She had another strong save in the second period, while down on the ice. The Frost had taken a shot on her, but she got her leg up to make a kick save, keeping the puck out of the net. 

Desbiens has been a solid player for the Victoire throughout the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and she continues to demonstrate her skills throughout the postseason as well. She will have to keep this performance up as the Victoire head to the Walter Cup Finals. 

Victoire Made History 

For the first time in PWHL history, the Victoire are on their way to the Walter Cup Finals. They made the playoffs in all three seasons, but in the first two, they were eliminated in the semifinals. By eliminating the reigning Walter Cup Champions, the Victoire are on their way to try to win the trophy. 

This is also a historic moment, as the two teams in the Walter Cup Finals are both Canadian. The Ottawa Charge beat the Boston Fleet in Game 4 of their series, bringing them to the Finals for the second season in a row. Both the Charge and the Victoire will be gunning for the trophy, making for an exciting Walter Cup Final. 

Victoire Head to the Finals 

The first game of the Walter Cup Finals between the Victoire and the Ottawa Charge will be played in Montreal on Thursday, May 14, at 7 PM ET.