The Montreal Victoire stormed back in dramatic fashion Thursday night, turning a one-goal deficit into a series lead with a stunning 24-second burst that left the Minnesota Frost reeling. Maggie Flaherty and Hayley Scamurra scored in rapid succession early in the second period, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens stood tall with 27 saves to secure a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the PWHL semifinals.

This road win marks a historic first for Montreal, who had never won a playoff game away from home in franchise history. The Victoire now hold a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five matchup, putting them one win away from the Walter Cup finals.

The game's turning point came just five minutes into the second period. Flaherty—the only Minnesota native on the Victoire roster—chased down her own rebound and executed a wraparound goal, sliding the puck past goaltender Maddie Rooney before she could reach the left post. Before the crowd could catch its breath, Scamurra followed up by beating Rooney high on the glove side, giving Montreal a 2-1 lead in a blink.

The Frost had struck first, with Sidney Morin scoring 3:22 into the opening period on a shot through traffic that squeezed past Desbiens' pads. It was Morin's second goal of the playoffs, and it put Minnesota in familiar territory—the Frost entered the night with a perfect 12-0 record when leading after the first period. They also boasted the league's best offense during the regular season, averaging 3.03 goals per game.

But Desbiens had other plans. The Montreal netminder held firm through a furious Minnesota rally in the third period, where the Frost outshot the Victoire 11-1. With 18.2 seconds remaining, Minnesota pulled Rooney for a 6-on-4 power play advantage, winning the faceoff but unable to find the equalizer.

Game 4 shifts back to Minnesota on Friday, where Montreal will look to close out the series and punch their ticket to the Walter Cup finals.