Rookie stars, new rules at play: What we learned in the PWHL's 1st week

When New York Sirens captain Micah Zandee-Hart saw rookie forward Sarah Fillier paired on a line with Alex Carpenter at the beginning of the season, it made perfect sense to her.

It's a partnership that has paid dividends for a New York team that finished last season at the bottom of the PWHL. Fillier leads the league with six points after three games, and Carpenter isn't far behind her with five.

Take, for example, a highlight-reel saucer pass Fillier sent to a wide-open Carpenter, who had time and space largely because the opposition coverage was on Fillier.

"They both see the ice so well," Zandee-Hart said.

"You see it in practice and I feel like they're constantly chatting and working through things. If things maybe don't go how they hoped, then they talk about it, and they change it up the next time."

Fillier and Carpenter's chemistry has gotten most of the attention, but the third member of New York's top line, Jessie Eldridge, brings a skill set that Fillier describes as "underappreciated."

WATCH | The Sirens' dynamic duo of Fillier and Carpenter:

Eldridge can retrieve pucks for her linemates, feeding Fillier twice for two goals in a win over Montreal in the league's first week.

But it's her ability to slow things down, paired with two fast-moving players, that Fillier sees as an asset.

"When she has the puck, she just has this total confidence and poise," Fillier said. "I think she does a really good job at just finding us wherever we are on the ice."

Goaltenders have taken notice, too.

"I don't think people realize how fast [Carpenter] is when she gets moving," said Montreal Victoire starter Ann-Renée Desbiens, a few days after her team lost 4-1 to the Sirens.

"Just to see how much they were able to create against us, you can't give them time and space because as soon as you do, they'll make something pretty good out of it."

The PWHL has paused action until Tuesday to allow for international play.

In the meantime, here are three things to watch after the first week of PWHL play, beyond New York's first-line magic:

The kids are alright

A number of teams have turned to rookies to play big roles in what is definitely a faster, more physical, and deeper PWHL this season.

In Toronto, Patty Kazmaier Award-winner Izzy Daniel, who has been playing on Sarah Nurse's wing, got her first career goal in a loss to the Ottawa Charge.

Alex Carpenter has formed a dynamic first line with Fillier and Jessie Eldridge. (Laurent Corbeil/PWHL)

Montreal has also seen a good start from former Ohio State University teammates Cayla Barnes and Jennifer Gardiner.

Some feel like rookies in name only, having had extra time to develop in the NCAA thanks to additional eligibility stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Barnes, for instance, comes into the league already more than six years removed from winning an Olympic gold medal with the Americans in 2018.

"The level of play is elevated this season," Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast said. "I credit it a lot to that rookie class that's coming in. They've been amazing."

But no rookie has scored more goals so far than Minnesota's fifth-round draft pick, Dominique Petrie. She's the first PWHL player to score in her team's first three games.

"I don't really think I could have pictured this happening, but just really excited that it is," Petrie said.

Rule changes

After nine games with the PWHL's new no escape rule, it looks like it's achieving what the league set out to do: increase scoring.

It's early, but power play efficiency sits at around 23 per cent, up from about 16 per cent last season. The Boston Fleet, which finished dead last on the power play last season, have scored on one-third of power play opportunities.

You could also attribute some of that to returning players having a bit more time to fine tune special teams.

"It seems like everyone's power plays are a lot better," Fast said. "Last year, I think it took a while for the power plays across the league to get clicking."

Another change Fast has noticed: this season is even more physical than last.

"Emma Maltais and I were in the locker room the other day, just looking at each other, being like, 'We're getting smoked out there, everywhere.' And I think we're two players that like to be physical as well."

The league set out to crack down on hits to the head this season, while trying to keep some of the physicality around the boards that players like.

Power play scoring is up across the PWHL after the league's first nine games. (PWHL)

Last week, the league suspended Minnesota Frost defender Maggie Flaherty for two games after an illegal hit to the head of Boston's Alina Müller, who missed her team's next game while in concussion protocol.

The hit was initially called as a two-minute minor, but all hits to the head receive an automatic review.

The league's player safety committee described the hit as "unsafe and dangerous" when announcing Flaherty's suspension.

"Flaherty applied opposite directional force, extended her elbow high with no intention to play the puck, and made contact with the head of an opponent where such contact was avoidable," the league said.

The reigning-champion Frost entered the break in first place in the league, two points ahead of the Sirens. The Frost is the only team yet to lose a game in regulation.

An eye on the future

Some of the skill coming to the PWHL in the future is on display this week at the Women's Euro Hockey Tour in Finland, a six-team tournament that includes European talent and development teams from both Canada and the United States.

Names to watch on Canada's roster include Nicole Gosling, a Clarkson University defender who was a member of the senior national team that won gold at the world championship earlier this year, and Caitlin Kraemer, a University of Minnesota Duluth forward who set a career goal-scoring record among Canadians at the last under-18 Women's World Championship.

WATCH | Thrift shopping with the Ottawa Charge's Zoe Boyd:

The American team is stacked with players who already have senior national team experience, such as Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Lacey Eden.

While many top European players in the PWHL opted not to make the trip to Finland to play for their countries, there are pro players competing who could make the jump to the PWHL soon, led by Finland's Viivi Vainikka.

Another opportunity to see future PWHL stars comes in January, when under-18 women's world championship also heads to Finland. Hockey Canada released its roster this week, and it includes five returnees from the team that settled for bronze last year.

Most notably, the Canadians will be led by Chloe Primerano, a generational defender who just made her senior national team debut at the Rivalry Series, and looks to be Canada's defender of the future.