Watts scores twice, leads Sceptres to win over Sirens

Daryl Watts hopes there are no more lengthy runs without a goal after snapping a five-game drought Wednesday.

The Toronto Sceptres star forward scored twice in leading her team to a 2-1 win over the New York Sirens. Watts hadn’t scored since a 3-2 overtime win against Ottawa on Feb. 16 –also a two-goal outing.

“Hopefully I’m more consistent here on out heading into the end of the season,” said Watts, expressing joy about ending the drought.

“I wish my droughts were (five) games,” Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan joked afterwards.

Watts is tied for third in PWHL scoring with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists).

The 25-year-old gave the Sirens trouble by finding her way into the middle of the ice and beating goaltender Corinne Schroeder. 

“Obviously, it was unbelievable,” Ryan said. “That first one was — very few people are gonna cut across like that and still get that much on the puck. She’s got a ton of talent and just has a knack to score goals. It was great for her to have a couple tonight. 

“You almost just grow to expect that in a way, and I don’t mean to put pressure on her. But when you see her coming down that wing and you know she’s gonna cut across the middle of the ice, you just kind of expect it.”

Watts scored her first of the night with 3:39 left in the first period. She took the puck away from New York defender Brooke Hobson near centre ice, came down the right wing and cut across with defender Lauren Bernard in front of her before beating Schroeder glove side. 

“I try to generate a lot of speed in the neutral zone and then just carry that momentum (to) cut across,” Watts said. “I think it’s really challenging for the defender to have to step up or pivot and swivel their hips and try to keep playing me as I cut across.”

Her second of the night came 1:20 into the second period when she took a pass from Anna Kjellbin in the right corner near the end boards, circled around to the slot and fired a shot through traffic.

Watts said that scoring method is harped on in practice.

“We work a lot in practice on kind of whipping the puck towards the net and I was climbing the wall and the opportunity to cut in and just throw it on net presented itself, so I’m glad it worked out,” Watts said.

New York challenged the play for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful, with Sirens head coach Greg Fargo saying post-game that he still didn’t agree with the call.

The win kept the Sceptres in third in the PWHL standings, but brought them within a point of Boston, which topped league-leading Montreal 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday.

Toronto has six games remaining and is four points clear of fourth-place Minnesota.