All 3 Canadian teams go into PWHL break in playoff positions
Only Montreal has secured its post-season spot with only 3 games remaining for each team
It was a little more than a week ago that the Ottawa Charge collapsed in the third period, surrendering six unanswered goals to the New York Sirens.
Speaking to CBC Sports a few days ago, Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld had a clear message: No matter what people thought after the New York loss, his team still had a chance to make the playoffs. They were very much in the race.
What a difference a week can make. Ottawa has earned six valuable standings points after back-to-back regulation wins over the Boston Fleet. Rookie goaltender Gwyneth Philips, who gave up five against New York, allowed only one goal over two games against Boston.
The Charge went into the third period on Wednesday with a three-goal lead, but it was a different story than the collapse against New York. The Charge matched the Fleet's physicality to hold the team off the scoreboard and win 4-0.
The regulation wins have propelled Ottawa into the fourth and final PWHL playoff spot heading into the international break. The league is paused until April 26 while players compete in the women's world championship, which begins next week in the Czech Republic.
Wednesday's win was, as head coach Carla MacLeod told players in the dressing room after the game, "a hell of an effort."
She told players to bottle up that energy and momentum to keep it with them when the Charge come back from the break.
"We've got to start with [that momentum]," MacLeod said after the game. "That's going to be the challenge for us. It's not lost on us, but that's the mission."
All three Canadian teams sit in playoff spots heading into the break, with the Montreal Victoire the only team in the league that has clinched its spot.
No team has been mathematically eliminated yet, though it's looking less likely that the Sirens will be able to climb out of last place and into the playoffs. New York is six points out of the final playoff spot.
A long break
Only two points separate the fifth-place Minnesota Frost and third-place Boston Fleet, which will make for an interesting stretch run after the break. Each team will have only three games left to play before the Walter Cup playoffs begin.
"We have to be better," Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel said after Wednesday's loss to Ottawa. "Took our foot off the pedal here, thinking we're in playoffs and we're not. So now it's a race."
Last season, the world-championship break was a massive reset for Montreal, which entered having lost four in a row. Several Canadian players came back with gold medals and a boost of confidence.
On the flip side, Minnesota, and several American players who lost in the final at the world championship, struggled after the break. Minnesota barely made the playoffs after losing five in a row.
How teams come back together after three weeks apart will determine who is playing for the Walter Cup in May, and who's on the outside looking in.
WATCH | Mic'd Up with New York Sirens defender Jaime Bourbonnais:
The break has been part of the PWHL's schedule for the first two seasons of the league, but it may not be that way forever.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed to The Canadian Press that it's discussing the timing of the world championships and the PWHL season, but didn't provide further details.
"That would make sense, honestly, to not make a break in our season," Victoire and Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin told The Canadian Press. "It's a long three weeks for the PWHL to be on break."
Deadline acquisitions paying dividends
Ottawa's first win over Boston was thanks to two quick goals from Tereza Vanišová, who Hirshfeld acquired at last year's trade deadline. Hirshfeld and MacLeod, who also coaches Vanišová on the Czech national team, saw a top-six player with speed and offensive ability.
That's exactly what she's brought this season. Vanišová is tied for second in PWHL goal scoring with Boston captain Hilary Knight (15 goals).
That same deadline, Hirshfeld sent fan favourite Lexie Adzija to Boston in exchange for Shiann Darkangelo. The GM faced questions about the trade at the time, but stressed that Darkangelo could be a steady presence down the middle. She could help the team close out games.
Darkangelo also has a winning pedigree, having won two championships in the shuttered Premier Hockey Federation, including one as captain of the Toronto Six in the league's final season.
In the last month, she teamed up with Vanišová and Brianne Jenner on the second line. It was Darkangelo's hat trick that sealed the deal over Boston on Wednesday.
It has taken some time, but both 2024 deadline deals have paid off for Hirshfeld.
WATCH | Darkangelo's hat trick powers Ottawa to 4-0 win over Boston Fleet:
One factor that could help the Charge, should it end up in a tie for a playoff spot at the end of the regular season: The team has built a cushion of regulation wins, which is the top tiebreaker once teams have played an equal number of games.
The MVP case for Renata Fast
Ottawa's win also prevented the second-place Toronto Sceptres from clinching a playoff spot before the break.
The Sceptres have climbed out of the basement thanks to a dangerous power play and more reliable goaltending from Kristen Campbell.
Digging deeper into that power play, much of the movement starts on the blue line with Renata Fast distributing the puck. She has more power play assists (11) than any other player this season.
She also leads the league in hits (58) and is tied for third in shots blocked (48), according to the league's stats. It's hard to argue against Fast as a candidate for the PWHL's MVP honours.
The Sceptres finally have a healthy roster for the first time this season, something Toronto fans will hope holds through the world championship tournament. Fourteen Sceptres players will represent their countries, including eight on Team Canada.
Every member of Toronto's top power-play unit was set to play for Canada at worlds before the IIHF deemed Hannah Miller ineligible. She was replaced with Julia Gosling, who has also spent time on Toronto's top unit at points this season.
'We need to score goals'
The Victoire go into the break with the comfort of a playoff spot secured. But there's a lot to improve heading into the regular-season finale.
Montreal has won just one game in regulation since the beginning of March. The last game, a 1-0 loss to the New York Sirens, saw the team put up only 16 shots, and very few from dangerous areas.
Much of the offence among the forwards has come from Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner. Cheverie has juggled the lines, presumably to try to find a scoring spark among other players. It hasn't quite worked yet.
"At the end of the day, the players have a great opportunity to take a spot, to run with it," Cheverie said. "And they're not."
Another post-worlds bump in offensive production and confidence, like the one some of the team's top players experienced last year, could be just what the Victoire need.
One bright spot has been Elaine Chuli, who has been a solid fill-in for injured starter, Ann-Renée Desbiens. Chuli has allowed only four goals over the last four games.
Defender Erin Ambrose credited Chuli for keeping her team in the game over New York, especially during a second period when Montreal was outshot 15-5.
"The big saves after big saves that Chuli's making, that's what a goalie needs to do and she's been doing that for us," Ambrose said. "She gave us a chance to be in that game."
The PWHL returns on April 26, when the Victoire will visit Ottawa at TD Place, and the Boston Fleet will host the Toronto Sceptres.
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With files from The Canadian Press
