The Ottawa Charge knew that their series against the Boston Fleet would be a goaltending battle. Going into Thursday’s game with goaltenders Gwyneth Philips and Aerin Frankel facing off, it was clear this would be a tight game. Sure enough – it was.
The Charge registered just five shots on goal in the first period, and the same in the second period. With eight shots in the third, they totaled 18 shots on goal in sixty minutes. Combined with the fact that many of those shots came from the outside, it simply won’t be enough to beat Boston.
“Kudos to Boston and their ability to defend as well as they did tonight,” said Charge head coach Carla MacLeod after the game. “With Frankel, you know you need volume and you know you need traffic. The game plan won’t change; it’s just kind of figuring out, how do you generate a little bit more?”
Frankel made 17 saves, good for a .944 save percentage. In the regular season, she had a 1.17 GAA and .953 save percentage. She allowed just 31 goals against on 662 shots faced. Focusing on taking more (volume) and better shots (quality) will help Ottawa better position itself in game two.
“We had some opportunities that maybe we just didn’t get the puck on the net at the time that we wanted,” MacLeod added.
Regardless, the Charge didn’t play poorly, not by any stretch of the imagination. A physical game that, for many, was their first taste of playoff hockey was certainly entertaining. Seeing Jocelyne Larocque score the first goal of the postseason was an unexpected delight, especially considering she’d only scored once all season.
“I think today, some of us were maybe gripping our stick a little tight,” Larocque said. “It’s the first playoff game for a lot of players, so I think taking a breath and believing in ourselves – and we do. We have so much love for each other; there’s so much belief. Getting that first game and getting our feet wet, I think it’ll really help us. We’ll definitely have a little more energy.”
Unfortunately for the Charge, a span of just 1 minute and 31 seconds changed the entire game, and left them down 1-0 in the best-of-five series. Still, to their credi, they didn’t let the game get out of hand after allowing two quick goals. They largely stuck to their game plan, kept it within reach and will look to move forward to Saturday.
“You don’t get to this point of the season and start making major adjustments,” MacLeod said. “Our game is in a really great spot. That’s why we’re here. For us, it’s just little tweaks, little subtle… adjustments. Our foundation is solidified, and it’s a very good one.”
The Charge will look to even the series in game two on Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET.