Charge have chance to eliminate Victoire, complete upset in PWHL clash on TSN
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The Ottawa Charge hold a 2-1 series lead and can eliminate the Montreal Victoire with a victory in Game 4 in Ottawa on Friday.
It hasn't been the series the Victoire envisioned thus far when they selected the Charge as their opponent in the first round after finishing tops in the league in the regular season.
The home crowd in Ottawa on Tuesday let them know about it too, with a raucous "You picked us!" chant after the 1-0 victory for the home side.
“Stepping on to that ice today, like the crowd was going from the second the national anthem played, like, how can you not, like, be energized by that,” said Mannon McMahon, who scored the lone goal in the win. “So, we needed that (Tuesday). So, it’s huge, and to have that next game too will even be bigger.”
Montreal's priority will be figuring out Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips, who recorded a shutout in Game 3 and has allowed just five goals on 115 shots in the series so far for a save percentage of .956 for the rookie netminder.
“I think we need to take her eyes away,” said Montreal’s Erin Ambrose after Game 3. “I think she is an elite goaltender … but I also think we have elite goal scorers on this team, and we’ve just got to find a way to get dirty ones at times.”
Montreal finished second in the PWHL in scoring in the regular season, averaging 2.56 goals per game, but they have been reduced to only 1.66 goals per game against Ottawa.
Since scoring twice on the power play in the series opener, Montreal has failed in six consecutive tries on special teams. Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie has identified that as another area of focus heading into Game 4.
"We believe in the group that we have on the power play,” she said. “And, you know, they have very talented players. Ottawa is playing us very aggressively high in the zone right now, so we have to find a way to get pucks to the net.”
Ottawa has a chance to eliminate Montreal after being chosen by the Victoire as their first-round opponent. That would mirror the result of last year's playoffs, where the Toronto Sceptres were eliminated by the opponent they chose, the eventual-champion Minnesota Frost.
Doing so on home ice would be even more exciting for Philips.
"Ottawa's been great, they've accepted us ... they're literally so loud," she said on Tuesday. "To get the win at home would be unreal."
The winner of this series would advance to face Minnesota in the championship with a chance to claim the second Walter Cup.