Ottawa heads into final weekend of PWHL season looking to clinch playoff spot
The goal is simple for Ottawa's Professional Women's Hockey League team when they close out their regular-season Sunday night in Toronto.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Win and they're in.
Ottawa (8-1-6-8) and Boston (7-4-3-9) enter the weekend tied at 32 points, but Ottawa holds fourth place in the standings and the final playoff spot with more regulation wins.
The outcome of Boston's game Saturday afternoon against visiting Montreal will have huge implications for Ottawa. A Boston regulation loss means Ottawa is in. But any result with Boston getting a point means Ottawa will have to at least match that outcome on Sunday.
"You don't sit here and ever wish anything," said coach Carla MacLeod. "The reality is you want to be able to control your own fate. We have that opportunity and that's a good thing."
Ottawa will be practising when the Boston game starts, but there are some players who say they will definitely be tuning in afterwards.
Ottawa had the opportunity to punch its ticket to the post-season Tuesday night against New York but failed to take advantage. Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead and then gave up four goals in the second period to lose 4-3.
It marked the second consecutive game where Ottawa lost its focus in the second period and was unable to recover, which set the stage for a dramatic finale.
"I think we just didn't execute our game plan," said captain Brianne Jenner. "I think we went in there with the right mindset, we wanted to clinch that day, and things just started to unravel and I think momentum shifts in hockey games and we weren't quick enough to end that shift."
High pressure games are nothing new for most of these players.
Jenner, Emily Clark, Ashton Bell and goalie Emerance Maschmeyer were all part of Canada's team at the recent world women's hockey championship that beat the United States in overtime in the gold medal game.
"I think experience is not a bad thing to think back on how you dealt with kind of high-pressure situations, but I think all of our players are prepared for that," Jenner said. "I mean, everyone's a high-performance athlete here that looks forward to those opportunities."
Ottawa has a 3-0-0-1 record against Toronto, which sit first overall in the league, and know the challenge ahead of them.
"For us it's doing everything we can to be in the moment," said Maschmeyer. "We're going out there to take care of business and get the win."
Maschmeyer has been instrumental to Ottawa's success. The 29-year-old has a 2.26 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. She'll need to be at her best to deal with Toronto's offensive stars in Natalie Spooner, who leads the league with 25 points, and Sarah Nurse, who is fourth with 21.
MacLeod said if the players remains committed to the process that got them to the cusp of the playoffs, they should have no regrets.
"We've faced adversity and dug out of adversity and we've had leads and held on to leads so it's really just going back to the well that you know and recognizing that we have found ways to win a hockey game multiple different ways," said MacLeod. "Obviously, we're driving to get the result, but you can't lose sight of the process."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Fancy pigeon outfitted in custom diaper has free rein in B.C. family home
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
5 dead and at least 35 hurt in Iowa tornado: officials
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.