Ljungblom's shootout goal helps Victoire beat Torrent 2-1, secure No. 1 seed in Walter Cup playoffs
SEATTLE (AP) — Lina Ljungblom's shootout goal helped the Montreal Victoire beat the Seattle Torrent 2-1 on Saturday night in the final game of the regular season to secure the No. 1 seed in the Walter Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Victoire (17-5-2-6) have 62 points, tied with Boston for most in the PWHL, but hold the tiebreaker over the Fleet.
Montreal will pick its first-round opponent between third-seeded Minnesota and No. 4 seed Ottawa. Abby Roque scored with a 5-on-3 advantage at the 7:25 mark in the second period to give Montreal a 1-0 lead.
Ann-Renée Desbiens had 23 saves for the Victoire. The Torrent (8-1-4-17) — who have 30 points this season, fewest in PWHL — could have secured the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 PWHL entry draft with a win.
Vancouver will have the first pick. Seattle's Alex Carpenter scored with 9:49 left in the third period to make it 1-1. Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin and Maureen Murphy returned from injuries that had sidelined the pair since mid-March.
The Torrent set a season high for attendance at 17,151. ___ AP women’s hockey: https://apnews. com/hub/womens-hockey