Laura Stacey learns from experience in Victoire's win over Torrent

Laura Stacey returned to the dressing room searching for answers.

Some advice from her teammates — including goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens — helped her solve the problem.

After coming up empty on a first-period breakaway, the Montreal Victoire forward didn't waste her second chance, waiting out Seattle Torrent netminder Hannah Murphy for a back-breaking short-handed goal in the second period of her team's 4-1 win Thursday in Laval, Que.

"I got back to the locker room, and all the girls told me to be a little more patient, so that was a little bit in my head," Stacey said. "I talked to Ann too, and she gave me a few pointers or just thoughts on Murphy, so that helped.

"I tried something different, to be honest, and I'm happy it went in. I was a bit scared I waited too long, but it all worked out."

Stepping up without injured captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Stacey stripped the puck off defender Aneta Tejralova before cruising around the blue paint and roofing a shot into the gaping net as the 10,033 in attendance roared at Place Bell.

"They got a little break there, and got the wrong person bearing down [on us] with Laura," Torrent head coach Steve O'Rourke said.

Stacey — Poulin's wife and one of Montreal's three foundational players — also set up Catherine Dubois's opening goal in the first period, wrapping around the net on her backhand before handing her linemate a tap-in.

The powerful, five-foot-10 winger later iced the game with an empty-netter, applying yet another lesson.

In Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to Boston, the Fleet scored twice with the goalie pulled and erased Montreal's three-goal lead — with Stacey icing the puck twice in an attempt to score from distance.

On Thursday, the 30-year-old from Kleinburg, Ont., skated