Full-strength Sceptres have PWHL on notice after win over Victoire

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The rest of the PWHL got its first look at the Toronto Sceptres at basically full strength and they couldn’t have liked what they saw.

The Sceptres welcomed Sarah Nurse back to the lineup after suffering a lower-body injury during Rivalry Series play and with her return the team marked the first game all year they have played a game without a player on the injured list.

Toronto dominated the league-leading Montreal Victoire in their own barn, getting both goals in the second period for a 2-1 win.

Nurse picked up an assist on Natalie Spooner’s third goal of the year, herself just getting back to top form following a lengthy rehab after she suffered a torn ACL in last spring’s playoffs.

Jesse Compher, with her ninth of the year on a nice feed from Blayre Turnbull, scored the other Toronto goal.

Full value for her eighth win of the year in 16 starts was Kristen Campbell who depending on the health of Canadian National team No. 1 goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens could find herself carrying the bulk of the load in the Canadian net at next months World Championships.

Campbell was rock solid turning back 32 of 33 shots, the only one to beat her Marie Philip-Poulin on the power play with about four minutes to go in the game, spoiling her bid for a shutout.

Campbell looked particularly sharp on the second and third chances the Victoire were generating all afternoon as she recovered quickly and always seemed back up and set for the rebound.

Toronto has survived, and more lately thrived, with players out on LTIR season. Megan Carter, the Sceptres second round pick this year was the first to return following by her rehab partner Spooner and now finally a full roster with Nurse back.

Nurse missed 10 games following that injury in Halifax following an awkward collision with US forward and Sceptres teammate Jesse Compher.

With the regulation win, Toronto moves into second place, just three points back of the first-place Victoire with five games left for each in the regular season.