The Ottawa Charge is officially in must-win territory as the Walter Cup final series returns to the nation's capital on Monday evening. The Charge lost the first two games on the road to the Montreal Victoire in the best-of-five series, meaning it will have to win the next three games to keep hopes of a Walter Cup alive.
But the good news is that the Charge will be playing in front of its home fans for the first time in this series. Puck drops at the Canadian Tire Centre at 6 p.m. on Monday.
Game 4 will only take place if the Charge can put together a win tonight. The game would take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
What are the stakes?
Things may look grim for the Ottawa Charge. With one more win, the Montreal Victoire will win the Walter Cup for the first time in team history. Meanwhile, Ottawa will need to complete the reverse sweep by winning three straight.
It's been a tight series, highlighted by the fact that both games have been decided in overtime. In Game 1, it was Abby Roque who scored the game-winner after the puck deflected off her face mask into the net as the Victoire won the game 3-2. In Game 2, Maggie Flaherty fired a one-timer past Gwyneth Philips to give her team a 2-0 series lead.
Reverse sweeps have happened before in the PWHL. In the 2024 playoffs, the Toronto Sceptres went up 2-0 in the semifinal against the Minnesota Frost, before Minnesota won the next three games en route to its first Walter Cup title.
This Charge team may be down, but head coach Carla MacLeod conveyed a strong message after Game 2: it's the furthest thing from out. "We believe in what we do. Our brand of hockey is a phenomenal brand of hockey. These women, they put everything on the ice every single game, and you just trust the process at this point in the season, and we know good things will come our way."
Game 3 of this series will be pivotal. In league history, the team that has won Game 3 has gone on to win all eight playoff series to date.
Who are the Charge players to watch?
Gwyneth Philips
Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips will need to be nothing short of phenomenal for the remainder of this Walter Cup final. Good news is, the reigning playoff MVP is already having a great postseason and has kept her team in many games that it may not have otherwise deserved to win. Game 2 marked the 22nd time in 34 starts this season that she's stopped 25 or more shots, and she's 29 saves away from 1,000 on the entire season. This Victoire offence is relentless, and Philips will need to be up to the task.
"I think it's going to be great getting back home, getting in front of our fans," said Charge captain Brianne Jenner. "It was amazing last series, and we're just looking forward to their energy helping us out." The fan zone will also be returning to the Canadian Tire Centre before puck drop, with highlights including "Electric Avenue" player walk-ins, and discounted hot dogs and beer, as well as face painting.
