PWHL Power Rankings: Assessing each team after the opening month

This is the inaugural edition of theScore's PWHL Power Rankings for the 2024 campaign. Check back for updated rankings on the first of each month.

1. Minnesota (5-1-2, 15 points)

Starting a team's history with a five-game point streak is a good way to vault to the No. 1 spot on the first edition of the power rankings.

Minnesota has lost only one game in regulation through eight contests, and that was a narrow one-goal defeat to Montreal in which Minnesota fired 46 shots on goal.

Leading the way has been the young duo of Grace Zumwinkle and Taylor Heise. The two local products have made the adjustment to the pro ranks look easy after graduating from the University of Minnesota last spring. Zumwinkle co-leads the league with six goals, while Heise has gone head-to-head with the established stars in women's hockey as the top line's anchor.

Minnesota has been the PWHL's best defensive team, led by goaltender Nicole Hensley. Her .948 save percentage has been a huge part of the team's success considering Minnesota has yet to score more than three goals in a game.

2. Montreal (5-1-2, 15 points)

A prevailing thought entering the season was that each team's stars would cancel out, and that depth would be the differentiating factor in Year No. 1. Just don't tell Montreal that.

Star power has propelled Montreal to the top of the PWHL standings alongside Minnesota. Marie-Philip Poulin co-leads the league with six goals, Laura Stacey has netted four of her own, Erin Ambrose has anchored the top pairing, and Ann-Renee Desbiens has a .930 save percentage in six starts.

Those performances from Montreal's elite talent have offset some underlying concerns. Montreal has the second-worst shot differential, firing 27.5 shots per game and allowing 33.1.

For the time being, Kori Cheverie's squad has been able to overcome being significantly outshot. Montreal has allowed 40-plus shots in three straight games and has been outshot by 16-plus in each.

Montreal has won despite this concerning trend, but it isn't sustainable long term.

3. Ottawa (2-1-3, 9 points)

A couple of bounces its way and Ottawa could easily be at the top of the PWHL standings with Minnesota and Montreal. Ottawa has lost only one game in regulation but has dropped a league-most three overtime contests.

Depth has been the name of the game for Ottawa. Ten different players have goals through six games. Lexie Adzija, who started the year on the fourth line, leads the team in scoring.

That's what makes Ottawa so tantalizing going forward. The team has played close games without getting elite performances from its star players. Brianne Jenner has one goal and three points, while Emily Clark has one goal and two points.

Once those two start to cook, those narrow overtime and one-goal losses will turn into victories.

4. Boston (4-2-0, 10 points)

Boston has truly been the PWHL's average team through the opening month. Its offensive and defensive numbers are essentially in line: 11 five-on-five goals for to 12 against; 26.2 shots for per game to 26.7 against.

Alina Muller has been legit. With two goals and nine points, the Swiss superstar is tied for the PWHL lead in scoring with two fewer games than her co-leader.

That comes despite Hilary Knight's slow start. The reigning IIHF Player of the Year didn't find the scoresheet until the sixth game of the campaign when she tallied the OT winner and a secondary assist.

Boston is also lucky to not be in a dire position in the standings. The team has recorded game-winners at 18:10 and 19:08 of the third period, in addition to two overtime victories.

5. Toronto (3-5-0, 8 points)

A 1-4-0 stretch in the NHL at some point in the campaign is almost expected. In the PWHL, though, that makes up the equivalent of 17 contests in an 82-game schedule.

Toronto is a scary team waiting to be unleashed. Troy Ryan's squad leads the PWHL in shot differential, pacing the league in both shots for per game (31.9) and shot against (24.9).

Natalie Spooner has been Toronto's MVP early on. She's scored five of the team's 13 total goals and is one of two players with more than one tally.

Toronto awaits superstar performances from its elite players. Sarah Nurse has only three points in eight games, and Blayre Turnbull has yet to score her first goal. Emma Maltais was recently bumped down to the fourth line.

Kristen Campbell appears to be back after pitching a shutout Friday against New York. That isn't the only exciting development for Toronto, as Canadian national team forward Victoria Bach is anticipated to make her season debut Saturday against Minnesota.

6. New York (3-4-1, 9 points)

New York boasts the PWHL's co-leading scorer in Alex Carpenter and the top scoring defender in Ella Shelton. Corinne Schroeder has arguably been the league's best goaltender with a .946 save percentage in five starts.

So, how is New York last in the power rankings?

For starters, New York has lost twice in three matchups against Toronto, giving the head-to-head edge to the Ontario outfit. But more notable is the team's shot differential.

New York has been outshot in seven of eight games. Ironically, the one outing where the team wasn't outshot was a 3-2 loss against Montreal on Jan. 16.

Micah Zandee-Hart's recent return should make New York a much more formidable defensive unit. The team's captain made her season debut Jan. 20 after undergoing shoulder surgery last summer and has slowly been working her way up the lineup.

Head coach Howie Draper will need Zandee-Hart to be the elite defender that made her one of the team's foundational signings for New York to clamp down in the defensive zone.