PWHL Toronto keeping perspective while building from slow start to season

Maintaining perspective has helped Toronto in working through a tough start to the Professional Women's Hockey League season.

Toronto has gone 1-3-0 to begin its 24-game schedule, losing both its home games, and only mustering five goals to 14 allowed. The team sits one point ahead of last-place Boston, which has played just two games so far. Toronto hosts Boston on Wednesday.

"It's hard because you don't want to be a team that's losing," Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull said after practice Monday. "But on the flip side of it, I'd rather go through this now than later in the season.

Turnbull said the team needs better attention to detail for a full 60 minutes. Meanwhile, forward Sarah Nurse said the team needs to turn its strength in puck possession into grade-A scoring chances.

The experience of the group, with several players having competed on the biggest stages internationally, in now defunct pro leagues or in the NCAA, plays a role in its confidence to rebound.

"We've got an older group that's been through the highs and lows of hockey seasons, the highs and lows of Olympic Games, world championships, CWHL (Canadian Women's Hockey League) playoffs," Turnbull said. "We've got girls who've won and lost national championships.

"We have a ton of experience throughout our whole lineup and I think with experience, you go through adversity all the time and I think it's about understanding and knowing that it doesn't last forever and things will get better. You just have to stick to it and stick together."

WATCH l CBC Sports asks PWHL players which opponent they would like to avoid:

Toronto dropped the league's first-ever game at home, 4-0, to New York on Jan. 1. After defeating New York four days later on the road,