Stacey, Poulin score in shootout to lift Victoire over Sceptres

It's extremely rare that teams play on back-to-back days in the Professional Women's Hockey League. For the Montreal Victoire, a commanding 4-1 win over the Ottawa Charge left a difficult challenge for the following night.

Enter Laura Stacey — who returned after missing the last 18 days with a lower body injury — to help guide her team to a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Sceptres on Thursday night in Laval, Que. Stacey and Marie-Philip Poulin scored in the shootout.

"It was honestly just so much fun to be back in the locker room with the girls," said Stacey, who was not expecting to play until the morning skate.

"It's always tough sitting in the stands, watching your teammates play and wanting to be a part of it. The past two weeks . . . the girls have made me feel as if I was a part of [the team] so that when you do come back, you haven't really missed a beat."

The Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion was contributing in every phase of play. Despite being listed as the 13th forward after coming back from injury, she logged more than 20 minutes of ice time, picking up two crucial assists before scoring an important goal in the third period.

"Every time that she was on, she impacted," said Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. "Whether it be the forecheck, pressure on the puck, shooting, or special teams, she impacted every single part of the game.

"She played on every single line and in every single situation and that was the plan going into it."

WATCH | Poulin's shootout beauty lifts Victoire over Sceptres:

Marie-Philip Poulin's shootout beauty lifts Victoire over Sceptres for 4th straight win

For most of the game, Toronto had the upper hand. The Sceptres dictated the pace of play, were dominant while