Boston Blades drop final games at home

In their last home games of the season, the Blades were held scoresless by Les Canadiennes de Montreal, who defeated Boston 6-0 on Jan. 16 and 3-0 on Jan. 17.

After a tough loss on Saturday, where the Blades succeeded four goals in the first period, including one while Montreal was shorthanded, Boston looked to bounce back on Sunday.

Playing their third game at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, the Blades kept Montreal to just one goal in the first two periods of play. Though they allowed 59 shots throughout the game, the Blades played Les Canadiennes tough, staying on top of them while in their own zone.

"Defensively, we've gotten so much stronger because we've had to play against better skilled teams and deeper talented teams, said Head Coach Brian McCloskey after the game. "I liked the way our team played. Lots of pride, lots of tenacity, real gritty. Against a skilled club like that, you have to do those things."

The Blades continued that pace of play through the third, despite allowing two more goals. After an extended offensive zone possession, Montreal blueliner Karell Emard let off a shot from the point that traveled through two Boston defenders. With the puck screened, tipped or both, there was little that goaltender Genevieve Lacasse could do to stop it.

Montreal's last goal was a bit of a fluke. Lacasse made an initial stop off of a breakaway, but the puck flew almost straight in the air. Lacasse scrambled to look for it, but when it landed, Les Canadiennes forward Kim Deschenes was there to capitalize on the weird bounce.

Despite the awkward goal to end the weekend, Lacasse was stellar yet again, stopping 92 of 101 shots. She needed help from her offense, who last scored six games ago, when Blade forward Megan Shea netted the team's lone goal in a 4-1 home loss against Toronto on Dec. 19.

The Blades will have the rest of January off, save for Lacasse, Kristina Brown, Dru Burns and Tara Watchorn, who will play in the CWHL All-Star Game on Jan. 23. After that, they'll travel to Toronto for their final two games against the Furies in the first weekend of February.