The 2026 PWHL playoffs get underway tonight, with the #2 Boston Fleet taking on the #4 Ottawa Charge. It’s shaping up to be a tight-checking, low-scoring, long series, with the Charge winning the regular season series 3-1. However, all four games went past regulation, with the first three going all the way to a shootout.
This series features two of the world’s best goaltenders, with Team USA (and formerly Northeastern) teammates Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips facing off for the right to play for the Walter Cup. In front of them, Jessie Eldridge is red-hot for the Fleet, entering the playoffs on a four-game, seven-point streak. She has seven goals and ten points in 11 games since the March 16 trade from Seattle. As for the Charge, Brianne Jenner is riding a four-game, seven-point streak as well, in which she’s tallied two game-winning goals to power her team into the postseason.
Healthwise, Ottawa is as healthy as can be coming into the series. No player sat out of their last regular-season game on April 25 with an injury. Boston isn’t battling too much either, but they’ll be without Zoe Boyd (out for the season, torn ACL). They may also be missing Olivia Mobley (LTIR since February, upper body) and Laura Kluge (day-to-day since April 11 game, concussion). That said, Kluge will likely draw back in before long if she’s not ready tonight, while Emma Healy of The Boston Globe reported last week that Mobley was close to returning.
Puck drop on Game 1 is set for 7 p.m. ET tonight at the Tsongas Center. Game 2 will get underway at the same time and place on Saturday, May 2. The series then shifts to Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre for Game 3, set for Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET. Game 4 will then take place at 3 p.m. ET there on Sunday, May 10, if necessary. Last but not least, Game 5’s venue, date, and time are still TBA, should it be necessary.
Before the series gets underway tonight, some of us here at TIG thought it was time to dust off the ol’ roundtable and share our thoughts on how things would shake out.
What will it take for the Boston Fleet to advance to the Walter Cup Final?
Dylan: The key for the Fleet will be solving Gwyneth Philips. We all know they can lock it down defensively, and Frankel will be Frankel, but they’ve had some trouble generating offensively against Ottawa this season.
Reid: The key for the Fleet will be to continue their lockdown defensive play from the regular season. They allowed only 45 goals in 30 regular-season games (second best in the PWHL). If they can continue that strong defensive play, I think Boston has just enough offense to take this series.
Lydia: I agree with Reid, the key for Boston is to return to their stingy defensive structure. It’s perhaps the only area they can gain a clear advantage on the Charge. We know they’re fairly equal offensively. They both have outstanding goaltenders that can potentially steal a game, if not the series. However, when the Fleet’s defense is on, Frankel doesn’t have to work hard. Meanwhile, the Charge’s defense is their weakest point this season. So, if the Fleet only have to contend with Philips while the Charge have to deal with both a dialed-in defense and Frankel, Boston should be able to come out of this one alive.
Maya: I agree with all of the above. Solving Gwyneth Philips will be difficult, so locking it down on defense will be key. I think this series will be about outlasting the other team. All four games between these two have gone to extra time this season, so they’d better be ready to play some bonus hockey.
Melissa: Aside from what’s already been mentioned, I think so much of this series is going to come down to the little things. The Fleet know they have a strong goaltender in Aerin Frankel, but even in the playoffs, your goalie can’t do everything. Playing a smart but physical game, particularly along the boards and forcing turnovers, will help give Boston the offensive edge.
Geremy: These two teams have gone into extra time in all four games they’ve played each other this season. There’s no doubt in my mind that they’re going to play very tight checking, defence-focused, and low-event hockey. There’s also no doubt in my mind that Frankel and Philips are going to be great. So, from my point of view, there’s not much advantage one team is going to have over the other in these categories, nor will those parts of the game be the difference.
If Boston is to win this series, they need to replicate the success that Minnesota had over Ottawa last year in the playoffs, which means this series is going to be on the shoulders of Megan Keller and Haley Winn. They need to play great defence but also be impactful in moving the puck up the ice. Minnesota won on the strength of Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson’s transition abilities. Boston needs Keller/Winn to replicate that success.
How about the Ottawa Charge?
Dylan: Philips has been solid this season, but she needs to kick into another gear to keep pace with Frankel and the Fleet defence. Given she was the 2025 Finals MVP, it’s not hard to imagine she has it in her.
Reid: Can they create enough offense? Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie have been great for the Charge all season, but they will need others to step up if they are going to score enough goals to beat Boston.
Lydia: Again, Reid is speaking my mind. In a five-game series, it is too easy to shut down an offense if just two players are a threat. So, the Charge need some of their depth players to step up. Fanuza Kadirova has shown she can be a clutch player this season, and she’ll need to show that again. Ottawa also needs someone like Emily Clark to step up after an uncharacteristically quiet season. If they can get multiple lines going offensively, they’ll give themselves a good chance to come out of this series.
Maya: The Charge will need to control some of their chaos if they want to win this series. Boston is a calm team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes or get shaken up. Ottawa will need to have all players firing on all cylinders to get things done. Philips can steal a game or two, but they have to score goals.
Melissa: I have to agree with Lydia here. Just like the Fleet can’t solely rely on Frankel, the Charge can’t solely rely on a couple of players up front. These games are going to be so tight. It’s going to be the smallest margin of errors and the tiniest mistakes that cost a team. The Charge need to rely on their full roster and be able to run four strong lines, especially when games start going to overtime.
Geremy: Ottawa didn’t have an answer for Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson in the Final last year, which became their downfall. Ottawa doesn’t really have an equivalent to Megan Keller and Haley Winn, so they’re not going to be able to match the max potential of Boston’s transition game. The key for Ottawa here is going to be forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. Keller/Winn are going to be able to handle the Ottawa forecheck. So, the next best option after that is to clog up the neutral zone and counterattack. That allows Ottawa to inject some chaos, which they’ll need to generate the scoring chances necessary to score on Boston.
What’s one storyline from each team to watch this series?
Dylan: In what is expected to be such a goaltending battle of a series, I’m curious to see who steps up offensively for each team. Both the Fleet and the Charge have some players who can be wild cards on the scoresheet, and the postseason is the time to play that hand.
Reid: For Boston, I’m curious to see if Jessie Eldridge can continue her offensive success in the playoffs. She was a fantastic addition for the Fleet, scoring seven goals and ten points in 11 games since coming over to Boston. Her offense is vital to Boston’s success.
For Ottawa, I wanna see if Emily Clark can find her scoring touch in the playoffs. She was so good for the Charge in last year’s playoffs, but she’s had an uncharacteristically quiet season so far. The Charge could really use some scoring from her in these playoffs.
Lydia: For Boston, one thing to look out for is whether they can return to starting games on time. Slow starts have become a problem for the team lately as they have had less and less to play for. Head coach Kris Sparre isn’t concerned about his team being able to flip the switch come puck drop, but it’s a switch that must be flipped nonetheless. As for the Charge, whether they can clean up their defensive play will have a major impact on this series. Philips has proven that she can steal games even when she’s being shelled. However, if Ottawa can not let Boston shell her, it will be a huge boost to their chances.
Maya: I’m 100% tuning in for the goaltending battles in this series, I don’t care if it’s the well-told storyline. Both goalies went to Northeastern, both goalies won gold for Team USA this year at the Olympics … what more could you want?
For Ottawa, can Philips reprise her amazing rookie campaign last season in these playoffs? And for Boston, can Frankel keep up her record-breaking season when it really counts?
Melissa: It really is the goaltending that’s going to shine through, but I think a lot of it also comes down to stamina and preparation. When we’re expecting these games to possibly take overtime — maybe multiple — it’s about playing the long game. Preparation, training, conditioning, and the mental fortitude of players to get through not just 60 minutes, but whatever comes after, too.
Geremy: In terms of entertainment value, it’s probably the battle of the Northeastern Huskies teammates in Aerin Frankel and Gwneyth Philips. I think, in terms of actually tipping the scales one way or another, it’s going to come down to Emily Clark and Alina Müller. Both really underperformed in their goal scoring in the regular season, scoring a combined seven goals. Both have been game breakers in the playoffs before for their teams, and they’re going to be looked upon to be the difference makers here.
Who will be the MVP of the series?
Dylan: Frankel or Philips, whichever goalie can outlast the other.
Reid: For the Fleet, I think it will be Aerin Frankel. She’s been so good all season, and she’ll need to continue to be great for the Fleet to have playoff success. For Ottawa, if they are going to win this series, it will be because they are able to solve Frankel and the stingy Boston defense. If that happens, I think Brianne Jenner will be a big part of it. She’s lead the Charge with 12 goals and 26 points this season.
Lydia: For the Charge, it’ll be Philips. She’s been their MVP all season, and she’s going to stay it to return to the Walter Cup Final. As for Boston, as good as Frankel will need to be, the Fleet also have a strong defense. So, the line of Alina Müller, Jessie Eldridge, and Abby Newhook might end up being more valuable. Yes, picking a whole line is a cop out, but they have built incredible chemistry in a relatively short span. If they can keep it up in the playoffs, it’ll go a long way toward helping Boston win this series.
Maya: Philips for Ottawa, unless Jenner gets on the board every game. Frankel for Boston.
Melissa: Frankel or Philips.
Geremy: Going off my assumption that this is going to be a very tight checking, low-event series, the difference isn’t going to be the goalies. So while I think Philips and Frankel are going to be great, the difference makers are going to come elsewhere. The elsewhere, in this circumstance, I believe is going to come down to Megan Keller and Emily Clark. The Jenner/Leslie pair is going to get a lot of attention from Boston defensively, so Ottawa is going to need a hero elsewhere. Insert, Clark.
Who’s winning and how long will it take?
Dylan: Ottawa in 5.
Reid: I think it will be an extremely tight series, but Boston will create just enough offense to find a way in 5 games.
Lydia: I’m going to say Boston in 5. I think their team is a bit more complete than Ottawa’s. That said, this is going to be an extremely tight series, likely featuring a long game or two. So, it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see the Charge take it in five either.
Maya: Five games for sure. I think Boston just edges them out, but it’ll be very close.
Melissa: Ottawa in 5.
Geremy: I flipped a coin and it had Boston winning in four.