The 2018 Isobel Cup playoffs begin this weekend in Buffalo, N.Y., and Newark, N.J. In the NWHL's first two seasons, there was a clear favorite heading into the playoffs, but that's not the case this time around.
This year, there have been two teams that have set themselves apart both on and off the ice. Because the NWHL playoffs are decided by one-game series, anything can happen. But it would be shocking to see a Final that didn't feature the league's two best teams: the Metropolitan Riveters and the Buffalo Beauts.
The Riveters made headlines in October when news broke of their historic partnership with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Just a few weeks later, Newark's NWHL team kicked off the 2017-18 season with an 11-game winning streak. Naturally, the Riveters were the talk of the league. Injuries eventually derailed their momentum in January and February, but the Riveters have recently returned to form. They closed out the regular season with a 4-1 road win in Boston.
MORE: Q&A with Hilary Knight on 'One League,' life after Olympic gold
The Beauts' success feels like it's a reflection of the Riveters' story.
After stumbling out of the gate, the Beauts played like a different team when Kim and Terry Pegula bought the franchise. Something clicked on the ice in the wake of the deal. The Beauts have not lost a game since the Pegulas bought the team and they finished their regular season on a 10-game winning streak. Three of those wins came at the expense of the Riveters.
When the Riveters are firing on all cylinders, their offense is downright overwhelming. Second-year center Alexa Gruschow was the NWHL's top scorer this year with 22 points in 16 games, but she wasn't the only Metropolitan player who had a big year. Veteran forward Madison Packer finished on top of the league in goals (10) despite missing the first four games of the year recovering from offseason hip surgery. Second-year stars Rebecca Russo and Miye D'Oench round out the front line of the best offense in the league.
The Riveters' potent offense is fueled by a deep, talented blue line featuring power-play quarterback Courtney Burke, 2014 Olympic silver medalist Michelle Picard, and rookies Jenny Ryan and Kelsey Koelzer. Ryan and Koelzer are both rookie of the year candidates and attended Team USA's Olympic selection camp last May. Behind that stacked defense is Katie Fitzgerald, who many consider to be the best goaltender in the league.
STEELE: Protest planted seeds for U.S. gold medal, will keep flowering later
For the first time in a long time, the Riveters are healthy and playing with some swagger. They're playing Riveters hockey.
“I don’t want to speak for any other team, but in my view ‘Riveters hockey’ — in the very short history of the NWHL — has been built from the ground up," Riveters winger Miye D'Oench told Sporting News. "A ton of credit goes to Chad [Wiseman], the coaching staff, Ashley [Johnston] and all the veterans.
"I think we all built on that first year, built on last year, and we’ve finally gotten to a place where Riveters hockey is something that everyone in the league knows," D'Oench continued. "You have to respect it. When we play our game, it’s pretty awesome to watch.”
The 2017-18 Beauts are not the same team that won the Isobel Cup a year ago, but there are still a few familiar faces, including captain Corinne Buie, crafty veteran forward Kourtney Kunichika and All-Star goaltender Amanda Leveille. The defending champs were bolstered this year by an exceptional class of rookie forwards, headlined by sniper Hayley Scamurra and the confrontational and shifty Maddie Elia.
MORE: Madison Packer and the masked physical toll of women's hockey
ANNOUNCING...
— NWHL (@NWHL) March 14, 2018
2017-18 NWHL Rookie of the Year finalists (as voted by media panel):
Maddie Elia
Kelsey Koelzer
Jenny Ryan
Hayley Scamurra
WHO WILL WIN?
Find out when the NWHL Awards are announced on March 20th at noon! pic.twitter.com/wcQ8TFAYJx
Buffalo's head coaches Craig Muni and Ric Seiling frequently tinkered with their lineup in the first few months of the season. The team's recent success is evidence that the duo has found a winning recipe. The Beauts excel at suffocating the opposition with a tireless forecheck that can transform a game into a battle for inches. But the key to the Beauts' success in the new year is their goaltender. Since Dec.16, Leveille has a .942 save percentage and has allowed fewer than two goals in five of her last 10 starts.
During the regular season, the Beauts and Riveters split their series. The Riveters outscored Buffalo 23-18 in those six meetings, but Buffalo has won the last three, including a tight 2-1 win March 4. All signs point to the two franchises settling the series next weekend in the Isobel Cup Final.
A victory for the Riveters would mean their first Isobel Cup.
A victory for the Beauts would make them the first team in NWHL history to lift the trophy twice. But before the heavyweight bout goes down, the Beauts have to get past the Pride and the Riveters need to win their first postseason game against the Connecticut Whale.