PWHL regular-season champion Montreal opts to open playoffs against 3rd-place Ottawa over Minnesota
The PWHL regular-season champion Montreal Victoire bucked the standings on Sunday in selecting to open the playoffs facing the third-place Ottawa Charge.
In making the announcement, general manager Danièle Sauvageau said the team followed a process that included consulting with her staff and players. Sauvageau, otherwise, didn't go into detail in choosing to face Ottawa over fourth-place Minnesota.
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'There was a lot of considerations that went into it, there wasn't just one ingredient,' she said.
The best-of-five semifinals open Wednesday, with second-place Toronto hosting defending champion Frost. Montreal will open its postseason on Thursday against the Charge, who are making their first postseason appearance.
There was very little to differentiate between Ottawa and Minnesota, given the teams finished in a three-way tie with Boston in having 44 points. Boston finished fifth based on having fewer regulation wins.
Montreal finished the season series going 4-2 against both Ottawa and Minnesota — though the Charge won the final two outings, including a 3-2 victory on April 26.
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Since its launch in 2024, the six-team league adopted a rule in which the first-place team chooses whether to play the third- or fourth-place team rather than following the standings order.
Last year, Toronto finished first and went with the 1 vs. 4 matchup in selecting Minnesota as its first-round opponent. The Frost rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Sceptres before going on to claim the first Walter Cup in winning a five-game series over Boston.
The Victoire closed this season 4-4-2 and clinched first place on Saturday by virtue of Toronto's 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa.
Similar to how the PWHL's inaugural regular season ended last year, the playoff race came down to the final day with Ottawa and Minnesota clinching the final two spots along with Montreal securing first place.
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Ottawa secured its first playoff berth on Katerina Mrazova's goal to seal the Charge's 2-1 overtime win over Toronto. Minnesota clinched its berth while also eliminating Boston with an 8-1 win over the Fleet.
The New York Sirens finished last for a second straight season. The PWHL is expanding to eight teams next season with the additions of Vancouver and Seattle.
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AP Women's Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
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