The Ottawa Charge were a dominant force in overtime throughout the regular season, but something has changed in the postseason. After back-to-back overtime defeats against the Montreal Victoire in the Walter Cup final, the Charge now face a daunting 2-0 series deficit with no margin for error.
In Game 2 on Saturday in Laval, Quebec, the Charge entered overtime knowing that one goal would either tie the series or put them in a deep hole. The extra period featured end-to-end chances for both teams, but it was Montreal's Maggie Flaherty who found the back of the net. Flaherty, left unmarked in the slot, received a no-look pass from captain Marie-Philip Poulin and fired a one-timer past Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips to secure a 2-1 victory.
The Victoire also won Game 1 in overtime by a 3-2 score, making it two straight sudden-death losses for Ottawa. This marks a shocking turn of events for a Charge team that excelled in overtime during the regular season, posting an 8-1 record in extra-time games. One of those regular-season wins came against Montreal.
Now, the Charge have collected more overtime losses in the postseason than they did throughout the entire regular season. So what has changed?
A key difference lies in the overtime formats. Regular-season overtime is played 3-on-3, followed by a shootout if necessary, while playoff overtime is 5-on-5 and continues until a winner is decided. The tighter 5-on-5 format leaves less space for players, making it harder to generate scoring chances. In the regular season, the extra space in 3-on-3 allowed the Charge to exploit their speed and skill. In the playoffs, the game remains as tight as regulation, and one mistake can be costly.
On Saturday, that mistake came when four Charge players collapsed into one corner to cover Poulin, leaving Flaherty wide open in the slot. Poulin delivered a perfect no-look pass, and the Victoire capitalized.
“At the end of the day, obviously, we probably put too many players in towards the puck,” said Charge head coach Carla MacLeod. “But our net-front defender is going to be net front, but she gets her feet wiped out from her from behind right before that play, and it’s pretty hard to get back to where you need to be.”
Ottawa had its own chances to win the game. Just seconds before the winning goal, Alexa Vasko had a prime opportunity but was denied by Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens.
“All I could see was her pad in that moment,” said Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. “I couldn’t see her, so that means that Ottawa was doing something right on that play.”
The series now shifts to Ottawa for Game 3, where the Charge will need to win to keep their championship hopes alive.
