Happy Hockey Friday! Dylan Nazareth from The Ice Garden here with the latest on the PWHL playoffs.
After a long season, this year’s Walter Cup Final between the Montréal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge got underway on Thursday night. Montréal came away with the win in Game 1, defeating Ottawa 3-2 in overtime.
Game 2 is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET in Laval, Quebec. In the meantime, let’s take a look back at how both teams fought their way to the Finals this season.
Ottawa Charge
For the second straight season, the Ottawa Charge are playing for the Walter Cup. Last year, the Charge defeated the Victoire in round one of the playoffs. Ultimately, their journey ended in the Finals, where they fell in four games to the Minnesota Frost.
This season, there was a not much optimism that the Charge would make it back to the Finals, let alone the playoffs. Key losses in expansion and free agency included Tereza Vanišová, Danielle Serdachny and Zoe Boyd. Still, the team boasts strong talent like Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Leslie and 2025 playoff MVP Gwyneth Philips in between the pipes. Ultimately, a strong late season push propelled them to a second playoff appearance, finishing in fourth with 44 points and a 9-8-1-12 record.
This year, Ottawa defeated the Boston Fleet in round one of the playoffs. Boston were heavy favorites in the series after a dominant year, but the Charge were able to wear them down. Ottawa advanced in just four games, thanks in no small part to the heroics of Philips in net. The American goaltender made 135 saves on 142 shots faced, posting a ridiculous 0.951 SV%.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Montréal Victoire
After disappointing first-round exits through their first two seasons, the Montréal Victoire are making their debut Walter Cup Final appearance.
Last summer, the Victoire also lost notable players in expansion. But they were able to hold onto key veterans Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Erin Ambrose and Ann-Renée Desbiens. Building around that strong core, they added the likes of Abby Roque and Shiann Darkangelo in free agency. Additionally, they selected rising talent Nicole Gosling in the PWHL Entry Draft.
Early season results were mixed, with the Victoire suffering four losses in their first eight games. However, things only went up from there. Through their final 18 games, the Victoire fell in regulation just once. Despite injuries to Poulin and Ambrose, they finished first with 62 points and a 16-6-2-6 record.
Once again finishing atop the league, the Victoire earned the opportunity to pick their first-round opponent. After choosing Ottawa last year, they opted for the two-time defending Cup champion Minnesota Frost this season. The gamble paid off, with Montréal defeating Minnesota in a back-and-forth five-game series.
Game 2 Preview
Game 1 between the Charge and Victoire was an absolute thriller. Gosling tied things up with two seconds left to force overtime, where Roque eventually sealed the win for Montréal. The winning shot was Roque’s second goal of the game, and first two goals of this postseason.
As expected, the goaltending battle was tight between these two teams, which were held scoreless through nearly 37 minutes. Keep an eye on Philips and Desbiens heading into Game 2, as neither goalie allows more than two goals very often.
Following Thursday’s win, Stacey and Poulin are tied with a league-leading six points through these playoffs. Leslie leads the Charge with three goals after she scored twice on Thursday.
Montréal will now try to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday afternoon, before the series shifts to the Canadian capital for Game 3 on Monday.
Mondays: Soccer
By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tuesdays: Tennis
By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Wednesdays: Basketball
By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Thursdays: Golf
By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Fridays: Hockey
By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Saturdays: Gymnastics
By: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer