The Ottawa Charge are on the cusp of advancing to the Walter Cup final for the second straight year after a dramatic Game 3 victory over the Boston Fleet on Friday night. The win, sealed by a late game-winner that deflected off the end boards, gives the Charge a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series.
Clinch Opportunity at Home
Game 4 takes place Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, with puck drop scheduled for 3 p.m. A win would send the Charge to the championship series. Head coach Carla MacLeod emphasized recovery during the short turnaround between games, noting that Saturday's focus would be on rest and video review rather than intense practice.
Keys to Success for Game 4
Ride the Momentum
Boston now faces a must-win scenario to keep its season alive. The Fleet are expected to come out desperate, making it crucial for Ottawa to start strong and capitalize on any mistakes born from that desperation. The Charge have a history of easing off in clinching situations, as seen in the regular season when they failed to secure a playoff spot in their second-last game. With momentum and a home crowd behind them, Ottawa must maintain an aggressive approach from the opening faceoff.
Historical precedent favors the Charge: In previous PWHL postseasons, all four teams that won Game 3 after a 1-1 series tie went on to win the series. Ottawa itself followed that trend last year, defeating Montreal in Games 3 and 4 of the semifinals. However, MacLeod stressed that the team is not focused on statistics. "We know there's a lot of hockey left," she said. "It's hard at this time of the year, but it's fun."
Keep Scoring First
The Charge have scored the opening goal in all three games of this series, a notable achievement given that Boston led in goals first in a league-high 23 of 30 regular-season games, including three of four meetings with Ottawa. MacLeod downplayed any secret strategy, simply stating, "You've just got to shoot a hockey puck. Good things happen. It's just trying to generate offense from any angle that you can early on, and it sort of allows your team to settle in."
Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips also played a key role in Game 3, making a crucial glove save in the third period to keep her team in the lead. The Charge will look to replicate that strong defensive performance on Sunday.
