The Boston Fleet opened a three-game homestand Tuesday evening (March 17) when the Toronto Sceptres came to Boston, Massachusetts. The weekday game at Agganis Arena was a potential early look at a first-round playoff matchup with the way the teams currently sit in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) standings.
Related: Guide to the 2025-26 Boston Fleet
The Fleet hold first place in the league with 39 points, while the Sceptres are tied with the Ottawa Charge for fourth with 28 points.
It was a tough outing for the Fleet. Aerin Frankel made 28 saves, but they weren’t able to get much of anything going on offense and didn’t have a lot of time to answer once the Sceptres struck late in the game. Toronto won this one 2-0.
Fleet Play Physical
Boston was doing everything they could to find a spark and get on the board in front of a sold-out crowd. Despite the loss, they led in the hit column by a 20-11 margin. It was also evident they were giving that extra shove or cross-check to bait the Sceptres into something. They tried getting into the grill of goaltender Raygan Kirk a couple times as well; however, it just wasn’t enough.
It’s a good mantra to have going into the playoffs. Playing hard-checking and agitating hockey will win you some games. Boston will need to back it up with some scoring, though, if they want to have success.
Eldridge Relied on Heavily in Debut
It was the first game on her new team for Jessie Eldridge. Fresh off a trade from the Seattle Torrent, she found herself an important part of the lineup early. She was lined up on the team’s second line and was in the starting lineup; not to mention she was out there on the first power-play unit. Head coach Kris Sparre knows the player he got and wants her to get busy right away.
Eldridge racked up 20:36 of ice time in her debut, primarily alongside Ella Huber and Alina Müller. It’s safe to say this is only the beginning for her as a big piece of the Fleet’s offense, and this line could be dangerous once they get acclimated with each other over the next few games.
Maloney Was a Bright Spot
The Fleet came so close on a couple of occasions to getting on the board, and it was on the stick of Shay Maloney both times. She battled her way to a pair of shorthanded breakaways, but was unable to put it home. Even though she couldn’t score, Maloney still had a stellar game off the scoresheet. She was one of the few Fleet players creating chances and was obviously their best penalty killer.
Boston is a very balanced team, so it isn’t all that surprising one of their depth players stepped up in this low-scoring affair. She is a big hitter that can change a game if needed, so hopefully she keeps it up while the top half of the lineup regroups.
Fleet Play Struggling Teams on Homestand
Boston’s short slew of home games finishes against the two teams that are at the bottom of the PWHL. They start on Saturday afternoon (March 21) against the Vancouver Goldeneyes with a 2 p.m. puck drop. The other game is on a Tuesday night (March 24) where they play the Seattle Torrent at 5 p.m. MDT. Both games are scheduled to be played at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
