Sirens blanked by Boston in season finale: Takeaways

Fargo pulled Shanahan to create a 6-on-4 advantage after a boarding penalty on Fleet defender Noemi Neubauerová at 14:29 of the third, but Jill Saulnier won a puck battle in Boston’s zone and scored the empty-netter at 14:56.

Keller, Eldridge, and Liz Shepers each notched two points apiece; Keller led all PWHL defenders in 2025-26 with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists).

“I thought we did a nice job at both ends of the rink getting first touches on pucks in the first 40 minutes of the game, and that led to a lot of offensive zone time. We had some chances offensively, and really limited their time and the quality of their looks,” Fargo noted. “I gotta give Boston credit, they certainly rolled up their sleeves a little bit in the third period and came at us. And credit to them for doing that, and the way they finished off the game.”

The Fleet won their 11th consecutive game against the Sirens, the longest winning streak in PWHL history between two teams. New York’s last win against Boston came on March 25, 2024, during the League’s inaugural season.

Key takeaways after Sirens cap off season with shutout loss to Fleet

Sarah Fillier — courtesy of PWHL

Sirens’ offense falls silent in final stretch

Despite strong shot totals, New York’s offense slowed to a crawl at the close of the 2025-26 season.

The Sirens averaged 1.6 goals in their final nine games after losing star rookie Kristyna Kaltounkova to a season-ending lower-body injury, scoring one goal or less in six of those contests. Saturday marked New York’s fifth shutout loss of the season after being blanked just once in 30 games last season.

Saturday followed a familiar script. The Sirens dictated play over the first 40 minutes, but had nothing to show for it. The power play floundered again, coming up empty on four opportunities.

New York’s offense leaned heavily on star forward Sarah Fillier and rookie center Casey O’Brien in the final month. Both delivered, but the Sirens’ thin attack proved difficult to sustain, especially against a run of red-hot goaltenders in Raygan Kirk, Gwyneth Philips, and Frankel.

The Sirens outshot opponents in six of their last nine games, and Fargo often praised the offensive process, but it’s a results-based business at the end of the day — and the results weren’t there when it mattered most.

Fargo ‘proud of growth’ from young group

Kristyna Kaltounkova and Casey O’Brien — courtesy of PWHL

At training camp in November, the Sirens set their sights on the first postseason berth in franchise history. For a third straight season, that goal eluded them.

“Being outside the playoff stings, for sure. That’s where we want to be. That’s where we set our goals to be at the start of the year,” Fargo stated postgame. “But at the same time, you’ve got to appreciate the growth of this group.”

New York was, by far, the youngest team in the PWHL this season. When the Sirens acquired Minnesota Frost forward Denisa Křížová in a late-March trade, the 31-year-old immediately became the team’s oldest player — and its only one over 30.

That youth quickly became one of their greatest assets. Even after a major offseason overhaul, a new-look Sirens squad jumped out to a 7-0-0-3 start. That pace ultimately slowed, but New York’s rookies continued to impress.

The first-round tandem of Kaltounkova (No. 1 overall) and O’Brien (No. 3 overall) headlined a deep rookie class that paced the PWHL with 28 goals and 62 points. Kaltounkova scored 11 goals in 21 games before being placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and O’Brien led all rookies with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists).

Fourth-round selection Maddi Wheeler (No. 28 overall) made an immediate impact in New York’s top six with her physical 200-foot game, and finished fifth in team scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Second-round pick Anne Cherkowski (No. 9 overall) wasn’t far behind with nine points (two goals, seven assists). Undrafted reserve defender Nicole Vallario worked her way into a consistent role in the Sirens’ defensive corps, logging consistent third-pair minutes after the departure of veteran blue-liner Jincy Roese.

“We’ve got a young team with a young core. And I just think we were able to make some really positive steps this year,” Fargo added. “There’s some parts of our game that we really like. Obviously, we’ve got to find ways to score.”

Outside of the rookies, second-year defender Maja Nylen Persson tallied a career-high 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 2025-26, and Paetyn Levis reached double-digit scoring (10 points) for the first time in her three-year PWHL career.

“I’m really proud of the growth of this group, this organization,” stated Fargo. “I think we’ve taken a lot of steps forward.”

Sirens coach addresses ‘unsettling’ expansion rumors

Micah Zandee-Hart — courtesy of PWHL

Unfortunately for New York, keeping that young core together could be quite the challenge.

The PWHL has yet to release specific details, but all signs point to another batch of expansion teams joining the League this offseason. If last offseason was any indication, another roster overhaul could be in store for the Sirens.

“It’s unsettling,” Fargo stated, addressing an uncertain offseason. “We feel really good about the group we have in the locker room. It’s been a challenge to build a team since day one.”

Under last offseason’s rules, teams were allowed to protect three players whose rights they held. Once two players were taken in expansion, teams could then add a fourth player to their protected list. It’s unclear if this offseason will follow the same format, but anything remotely similar would result in major losses for New York.

“I think if there’s any way to keep a good number of the players and the staff in that room together, we feel really good about what we’re building. It’s just a matter of whether or not we can keep it together for a long period of time,” Fargo continued. “We know that there’s likely to be some obstacles in the way of that, but we’ll just do our best to try and adapt and put the best group together that we possibly can come next season.”

On top of expansion, the Sirens have 11 players set to become unrestricted free agents, including Kristin O’Neill, Taylor Girard, and midseason additions Clair DeGeorge and Křížová. General manager Pascal Daoust has his work cut out for him.

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