PWHL notebook: Stakes high for teams fighting for playoffs

At the beginning of the season, most people predicted the PWHL's two newest teams would dominate.

Both the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent stockpiled riches during the league's first expansion process, drawing ire from fans of the original six teams.

But it hasn't quite worked out that way.

As the league enters its final month of regular-season play, the intensity is ramping up and the stakes are high across the league. Only four of the eight teams make the playoffs, and with further expansion on the way, the PWHL is a win-now league.

Right now, the Goldeneyes (7th place) and Torrent (8th place) are among the teams on the outside looking in.

Things are worse for the Torrent, which have seven games remaining and trail fourth-place Toronto by 12 points. (A regulation win is worth three points in the PWHL.)

Vancouver, meanwhile, has a glimmer of hope. There's been a hunger in the Goldeneyes' game lately, and you could see it in Thursday's 3-0 loss to Montreal.

"I thought they played desperate hockey," Montreal Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie said about the Goldeneyes.

What's gone wrong for Vancouver? You can start with an injury to forward Sarah Nurse, which kept her out of most of the first half of the season. Nurse has been one of the best players on this team when she's been on the ice. On Thursday, she led the Goldeneyes with five shots, many of which were good opportunities.

None went into the net, and it's the second time Vancouver has been shut out in the last three games. Beyond what Nurse has added, and the offence on the blue line from Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, scoring has been hard to come by.

None of Jenn Gardiner, Michelle Karvinen or Abby Boreen have registered a goal since the Olympic