The beginning of the season looked promising for the New York Sirens, who won five of their first nine games and led the league in offensive statistics. After finishing the 2024 season at the bottom of the league, the Sirens appeared to be starting a new chapter.
Fast forward to the last nine games for New York, and you get a completely different team. The Sirens have dropped all nine of their previous games, setting a new PWHL record for consecutive losses. What’s different about the first nine games for New York compared to the last nine?
Other Line Production
The first nine games of the season saw production from players other than Sarah Fillier, Alex Carpenter, Jessie Eldridge and Ella Shelton. More than 50% of the goals scored by the Sirens in those games came from players on other lines. In their last nine games, that percentage has dropped by 10.
As it stands, Abby Roque is the only player apart from Fillier, Carpenter, Eldridge and Shelton who has reached double digits in points. Other players need to start finding their way onto the scoresheet for the Sirens to turn things around. It’s important to note that goal production as a whole has declined for New York. In the first nine games, the Sirens averaged 2.88 goals per game. Over the last nine games, they have averaged just 1.55.
Power-Play Production
In New York’s last nine games, its power-play production has taken a dip compared to the first nine games. The Sirens have had a 12% efficiency with the advantage, down from 22% in the first nine games.
A factor contributing to this decline is the loss of Carpenter for a two-week stretch due to an upper-body injury. Her recent return to the lineup should boost New York’s power-play percentage and help the team pull together some wins in the final stretch of the season.
With just nine games left in the regular season, the Sirens sit at the bottom of the league, 13 points out of a playoff spot. With the PWHL awarding three points for a win, New York isn’t out of contention yet, but the team needs to turn things around quickly.
The next opportunity for the Sirens to get back in the win column is tomorrow night against the Montréal Victoire.
