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National Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Things to watch for as Ottawa Charge tries to take command of PWHL final
Article content Minnesota lost the first game of the 2024 final against Boston 4-3, took the second game 3-0 and Game 3 by a 4-1 count, lost Game 4 1-0, then won the title with a 3-0 triumph. Article content This year, the Frost fell 3-2 to the Toronto Sceptres in the first game, then roared back to win the next three by scores of 5-3, 7-5 and 4-3. Article content 'We're definitely not trying to play from behind … It's just one of those things,' Frost coach Ken Klee said Wednesday. 'It's a long series. Playoffs are tough. It's tough to win games. It's the spot we found ourselves in in the past and, unfortunately, we're in it again, but, again, it's a long series. It's the first team to win three, and we know that. We did some good things (Tuesday) night and we know we need to clean up some things. We'll be looking forward to that (Thursday).' Article content Ottawa's shutdown line of Clark, Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon was at it again on Tuesday. Article content In fact, those three, along with the blue-line pairing of Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell was even more effective against the Frost big guns than it had been against Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jen Gardiner in the first round. Article content Article content While the Victoire line was able to put a sufficient amount of rubber on goal, Minnesota's top unit of Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava — which combined for 16 points against the Sceptres — was blanked in Game 1 while managing a total of just six shots. Article content Article content Clark and Leslie have accounted for all the Charge offence in the past two games, each scoring once in the identical 2-1 victories. Article content As far as Clark goes, it's not much of a surprise. Article content Along with her dogged checking, she has 15 goals and 23 assists in 59 regular-season and playoff PWHL games combined. Article content Lesie, the hometown girl, has six goals and nine assists in 61 games. Article content 'I think the confidence has caught up to her skill level,' Charge head coach Carla MacLeod said. 'I think Becca Leslie has been a great player in women's hockey for a long time, and she's been a great player for us all season. It's just now with that added confidence, she's been able to shoot the puck a few times and she's obviously got a great shot. So it's always nice to see players be rewarded, and I think she's one that's just continued to grow with the game and grow with the league, and she's had a nice little postseason here for us.' Article content Article content Article content FanDuel oddsmakers have the Charge as the favourite to win Thursday's game and -114 and the series at -230. Article content Minnesota is a -105 underdog in Game 2 and +184 to successfully defend its Walter Cup hold. Article content To take the playoff MVP award, Philips is currently the favourite at +280, followed by Clark at +360, Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner at +450, then three members of the Frost: Heise (+460), Schofield (+550) and Lee Stecklein (+1300). Article content
Globe and Mail
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Battle-tested Minnesota Frost confident despite dropping Game 1 to Ottawa Charge
The Minnesota Frost have been here before, and with that comes a sense of familiarity. After dropping Tuesday's Game 1 of the PWHL's Walter Cup championship series 2-1 in overtime to the Ottawa Charge, the Frost remain confident heading into Game 2, leaning on their proven resilience and ability to bounce back. The Frost are now 0-4 all-time in Game 1 playoff action, but won each of the previous three series – experience they're leaning on as they look to repeat as league champions. Game 2 of the best-of-five goes Thursday at TD Place, where Ottawa is 3-0 in the playoffs. 'It's playoffs, it's very difficult to win, it's very hard,' said Frost head coach Ken Klee. 'We always started all these series on the road. It's very hard to win on the road, but I think our group knows that. We're a resilient group. We're going to stay with it.' He said the goal now is to get a split and head back to Minnesota with home ice advantage. Last season, the Frost rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their semi-final against Toronto, winning three straight to reach the final. The Charge, meanwhile, are making their first appearance in the PWHL playoffs, with only four players having prior experience – but head coach Carla MacLeod says her group doesn't need a crash course in what the moment means. 'We're looking at individual games, and Game 1 is on the shelf,' said MacLeod. 'It's neither here nor there, it's done. Their game is so strong. We know that they've got another gear to what they're going to do as well.' Ottawa came away with the win, but Game 1 itself was evenly played. Minnesota held the edge in shots, 26-19, and both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play. The Frost tied it early in the third after a rare miscue by goalie Gwyneth Philips and pressed for the go-ahead goal, but Ottawa held firm, leaning on its structure and composure. 'I think it was a good starting point for both teams,' said MacLeod. 'I suspect both of us will be working very hard to elevate our games. But our team did a nice job just staying with it and really just gutting it out at the end of the day.' Special teams could loom larger as the series wears on – Ottawa is just 1-for-11 on the power play in the playoffs, while Minnesota has converted five of nine chances. The Frost generated a few good chances Tuesday night on their two power plays, but Philips is proving tough to beat. The 24-year-old is a finalist for both PWHL goaltender of the year and rookie of the year, and has been instrumental to Ottawa's playoff success. There's no secret to beating an elite goalie like Philips, Klee said – it comes down to execution. 'Getting traffic to the net … we take away her eyes, get second chances,' said Klee. 'You know, all those things that we talked about with all the goalies in our league.' The Charge had the league's worst power play during the regular season, converting just 14.9 per cent of the time. While MacLeod isn't overly concerned, she admits it's still an area they're working to improve. 'From Day 1 of the season to the last day of the season, you're always going to invest in your special teams, and that's not lost on us,' she said. 'But we're certainly not getting frustrated or losing sight of the fact that lots of positives are being generated.'
Ottawa Citizen
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Things to watch for as Ottawa Charge tries to take command of PWHL final
Article content In last year's semifinal against Toronto, Minnesota was blanked in the first two games by scores of 4-0 and 2-0, but came back to win the next two at Xcel Energy Center with 2-0 and 1-0 shutouts of its own before taking the deciding game 4-1 in Toronto. Article content Minnesota lost the first game of the 2024 final against Boston 4-3, took the second game 3-0 and Game 3 by a 4-1 count, lost Game 4 1-0, then won the title with a 3-0 triumph. Article content This year, the Frost fell 3-2 to the Toronto Sceptres in the first game, then roared back to win the next three by scores of 5-3, 7-5 and 4-3. Article content 'We're definitely not trying to play from behind … It's just one of those things,' Frost coach Ken Klee said Wednesday. 'It's a long series. Playoffs are tough. It's tough to win games. It's the spot we found ourselves in in the past and, unfortunately, we're in it again, but, again, it's a long series. It's the first team to win three, and we know that. We did some good things (Tuesday) night and we know we need to clean up some things. We'll be looking forward to that (Thursday).' Article content Article content Ottawa's shutdown line of Clark, Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon was at it again on Tuesday. Article content In fact, those three, along with the blue-line pairing of Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell was even more effective against the Frost big guns than it had been against Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jen Gardiner in the first round. Article content While the Victoire line was able to put a sufficient amount of rubber on goal, Minnesota's top unit of Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava — which combined for 16 points against the Sceptres — was blanked in Game 1 while managing a total of just six shots. Article content Article content Clark and Leslie have accounted for all the Charge offence in the past two games, each scoring once in the identical 2-1 victories. Article content As far as Clark goes, it's not much of a surprise. Article content Article content Along with her dogged checking, she has 15 goals and 23 assists in 59 regular-season and playoff PWHL games combined. Article content Lesie, the hometown girl, has six goals and nine assists in 61 games. Article content 'I think the confidence has caught up to her skill level,' Charge head coach Carla MacLeod said. 'I think Becca Leslie has been a great player in women's hockey for a long time, and she's been a great player for us all season. It's just now with that added confidence, she's been able to shoot the puck a few times and she's obviously got a great shot. So it's always nice to see players be rewarded, and I think she's one that's just continued to grow with the game and grow with the league, and she's had a nice little postseason here for us.' Article content Article content Minnesota is a -105 underdog in Game 2 and +184 to successfully defend its Walter Cup hold.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Emily Clark's OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener
OTTAWA, Ontario — Emily Clark was just hoping for a shorter overtime. After experiencing quadruple overtime in her team's tough semifinal series, the Ottawa Charge forward was keen to put an end to things early. Clark did just hat, scoring at 2:47 of overtime on Tuesday night to lead the Charge to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Frost for a 1-0 lead in the Professional Women's Hockey League best-of-five championship series for the Walter Cup. 'I had an opportunity the shift before with some speed and the puck kind of rolled off my stick and, you know, I was just trying to shake that off,' Clark said. 'And I just had in my mind that if I have another opportunity I was just going to try to use my speed and get it to the net. Obviously, happy with the result.' Game 2 is Thursday in Ottawa. Ottawa is a perfect 3-0 on home ice through the playoffs. The Frost have never won Game 1 of a playoff series in four attempts. Minnesota also lost the first game of their semifinal series to Toronto and came back to win three straight. 'We know it's gonna be a tight series,' Frost coach Ken Klee said. 'They're a good team. We know goals are gonna come at a premium and, obviously, they got one more than us tonight.' In the extra period, Clark came down the wing and wired a shot past Nicole Hensley, who finished the game with 17 saves. The game required extra time after Gwyneth Philips had a rare miscue early in the third period, leading to the Frost's tying goal. Philips, who stopped 25 shots, mishandled the puck while attempting to play it, turning it over to Katy Knoll. Knoll quickly fed a pass to Klara Hymlarova, who buried the wide-open chance to tie the score 1-1. 'You know, those little missteps are going to happen,' Charge coach Carla MacLeod said. 'That's the reality of sport. That's the reality of hockey. There's little mistakes that can occur, but she doesn't let it faze her, and we know that about her, too.' With 6:08 remaining in regulation the Charge were set to go on the power play but officials then reviewed an incident that saw Rebecca Leslie cross check Mellissa Channell-Watkins. It was initially assessed as a major but then downgraded to a minor creating offsetting minors. 'I was definitely freaking out a little bit,' admitted Leslie, as she waited for the call. 'I was disappointed, and don't like to be in those situations. So, just glad it was a minor and we killed it off.' Leslie had brought the crowd to its feet midway through the second period when she beat Hensley high glove side to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. Moments earlier the Frost had been generating a number of chances on the power play, but Philips was solid. As the penalty was expiring the Charge were able to clear the puck with Jocelyne Larocque making a cross-ice pass to Tereza Vanisova who dropped a pass to Leslie. Hensley couldn't get a clear view of the shot, partially screened by her teammate Lee Stecklein. 'I think that this league is unbelievably hard to score in, and I think you work all season to try to put yourself in opportunities to score goals,' Leslie said. 'And those are some pretty big goals for me, and I think it does help my confidence a little bit.' ___ AP Women's Hockey:
CBC
19-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Charge, Frost keep focus on Walter Cup final after expansion draft announcement
On the eve of the Walter Cup final opener between the Ottawa Charge and the Minnesota Frost, the Professional Women's Hockey League announced the dates, rules and procedures surrounding the 2025 expansion draft. Rather than keeping the focus on the league's showcase event, players and coaches were being asked about expansion and free agency. However, that didn't change the priority and focus for Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod. "Obviously, what we're doing is our priority and our only focus," said MacLeod. "So, at the end of the day I can't control those variables. All we can do is control what we've been doing." MacLeod admitted that obviously her players are aware of what's going on, but she and her coaching staff will continue to ensure the focus remains on the series considering how hard they worked to get there. Minnesota coach Ken Klee had much of the same mindset. "You know, it's just one of those things," said Klee. "Again, we're here to play." Creating competitive teams The expansion process, to ensure Vancouver and Seattle can be competitive in 2025-26, includes a player protection phase, an exclusive signing window, the expansion draft and the 2025 PWHL Draft. Each of the six original PWHL teams will ultimately lose four players from their current rosters during the multi-stage process, which starts with teams submitting a list of protected players by June 3. Beginning June 4, the expansion teams will have a five-day exclusive signing window to sign up to a maximum five unprotected or expiring-contract players. This will be followed by the Expansion Draft on June 9, where Seattle and Vancouver will alternate picks to build 12-player rosters, selecting from remaining unprotected players under contract or whose rights are held for the 2025—26 season. The full order of selections and additional signing windows will be announced in the coming weeks. "Obviously, it's information, you know, we've been hoping to have, and you want to know what's going on in the future," said Minnesota defender Lee Stecklein. "But it is the future at this point and these games are right in front of us. So, it's nice to be able to talk to each other and sort of, again, kind of, have some questions answered." No. 3 vs No. 4 showdown Ottawa punched its ticket to the final with a 3-1 series win over the top-seeded Montreal Victoire in their best-of-five semifinal, while Minnesota beat second-seeded Toronto by the same margin, setting the stage for a championship showdown between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Minnesota, which enters the series as the defending Walter Cup champion, will present a different challenge for the Charge. In their semifinal against Montreal, the Charge focused on containing the Victoire's top line. Against Minnesota, the challenge will be far more difficult. The Frost, who led the league in scoring during the regular season, boast impressive depth, with 11 different players finding the back of the net in their opening series. They scored 18 goals in the first round compared to Ottawa's eight. "We take pride in playing good defensively and not giving them many chances and, obviously, Gwyn (Philips) played outstanding that series so we'll definitely rely on her a lot," said Ottawa defender Ashton Bell. "I think just our structure and where we're at in our play is definitely something that speaks a lot about how we limited their top line to not many, zero, if any goals. So, we'll definitely use that going into this next series." Philips' play in goal had a significant impact on Ottawa's success, whereas the Frost split duties between Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney. "We know we need both," said Klee. "Both are going to be involved. They know, their mentality is I've got to earn my next start and that's kind of served us pretty good." The series gets underway Tuesday in Ottawa.
