Guess what? We don’t have to talk at length about the Montréal Victoire this week because their potential to clinch a playoff berth this week was foiled by the New York Sirens NOT beating the Ottawa Charge on Saturday. We think. Math isn’t our best subject.
So. You’re welcome.
CONFIRMED: We're bad at math.
Let’s see what else is on the docket.
Tuesday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern
New York Sirens at Ottawa Charge
This is the second of two games between these teams in just four days. On Saturday, Ottawa defeated the Sirens in a 5-2 win during New York’s Pride game, which seems rude. But fine. On the bright side, Sirens fans gave the team a season-high attendance at Prudential Center. Which is fantastic, especially towards the end of a losing season. It was honestly a really exciting game, in-arena, despite the loss. (Wee) Woo.
Ottawa forward Tereza Vanišová scored her second hat trick of the season—the first player in PWHL history to record two in a single season. New York forward Abby Roque scored a ‘Michigan’ goal—the first player in PWHL history to achieve that feat. In their last game, Sirens rookie forward Sarah Fillier became the first player in PWHL history to score a goal in five straight games.
Now, looking ahead to Tuesday’s game. Ottawa can move into fourth place—a playoff spot—with a regulation win. They’re in fifth place with 33 points, only two points behind the Minnesota Frost who don’t play again until March 26 (against Montréal who, if you didn’t know, are in first place).
Ottawa needs all the points they can get to potentially knock the Frost out of playoff contention—and keep them there. (They also need the Frost to lose consistently, btw). We’ve mentioned the devastating injury to Ottawa’s star goalie, Emerance Maschmeyer, and her subsequent LTIR designation. Backup goalie Gwyneth Philips has had two starts since then, with a save percentage of 0.917 and she's averaging 2.52 goals against. Including 34 saves on 36 shots in Saturday’s win over New York.
Offensively, Charge forward (pun actually not intended) Tereza Vanišová of double hat trick fame leads her team in points with 17 (13G, 4A) and is tied for second in the league (with Boston’s Hilary Knight, naturally) in goals. Forward Emily Clark is just behind with 16 points (8G, 8A). A fun fact, Vanišová also leads the Charge in penalty minutes—by a lot.
Clark—along with captain Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Larocque and Danielle Serdachny—was recently named to Canada’s national team roster ahead of the 2025 Women’s World Championship next month.
Three Sirens were also named to the team: Fillier, D Ella Shelton, D Micah Zandee-Hart.
Watch: MSG, Prime Video, PWHL YouTube
Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern
Toronto Sceptres at Boston Fleet
Boston and Toronto are separated by a single point in the standings; Boston in second place with 40 points and Toronto in third place with 39 points. At this point in the season, these two teams are playing for first place, which comes with the perk of choosing their semifinal opponent between the third- and fourth-place teams. Both teams could feasibly overtake Montréal, sitting at the top with 45 points.
… if Montréal stops winning. Which... they have lost their last two, one in OT and one in a shootout.
As I often say, let’s talk goaltending. Toronto netminder Kristen Campbell is on a bit of a heater, allowing two or fewer goals in seven straight starts and picking up five wins during the stretch. Toronto’s other goaltender, Raygan Kirk, has a 5-1-1-0 record and 0.918 save percentage—two tough customers.
And speaking of Toronto players heating up and/or staying hot:
Hannah Miller? Tied for third in the league in points with 23 (10G, 13A).
Daryl Watts? The other player ranked third in the league in points with 23 (8G, 15A), with points in her last three games.
Renata Fast? Leading the league in assists with 15. She also has five goals, btw.
You may be able to guess that those three Canadians were also named to Canada’s national team roster. Oh, also five other Sceptres were named to the team: G Kristen Campbell, F Emma Maltais, F Sarah Nurse, F Natalie Spooner and F Blayre Turnbull.
Then there’s the Aerin Frankel of it all. The Boston netminder is second in the league in all goalie stats: wins (12), save percentage (0.930), and goals against average (2.01). She’s behind, of course, Montréal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Fleet forward and captain Hilary Knight leads the league in points with 26 (13G, 13A). She was named PWHL First Star of the Week last week.
Watch: TSN, NESN, PWHL YouTube
Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. Central
Ottawa Charge at Boston Fleet, Takeover Tour at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
It’s the final stop of this season’s Takeover Tour!
In the previous Takeover game at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, the league announced they have officially welcomed 1,001,648 fans in just over 14 months since the league’s launch. The Detroit crowd of 14,228 fans also set a new U.S. attendance record at a professional women’s hockey game – the fourth time a PWHL game has broken this record, including most recently at the Takeover game in Denver (14,018 fans).
We took over.
