Following their 6-3 loss to PWHL Montreal on Feb. 24, PWHL Ottawa has trudged to a 1-0-1-4 record in February and have lost seven of their past eight games.
The team sits dead-last in the PWHL standings with no games in hand over the two next-closest teams.
“We’re falling a little bit short in the results,” Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod said after the loss to Montreal. “[We] still really believe in our process and what we are doing.”
Ottawa returns home to TD Place Arena on Feb. 28 looking to turn their luck as they take on fifth-place New York.
Feb. 14: 2-1 loss to Minnesota
After allowing an ugly goal in the first five minutes, PWHL Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney would not be beat by Ottawa’s struggling offence for the remainder of the game, leading her team to a 2-1 Valentine’s Day victory at Xcel Energy Center.
Tejralová set up her D-partner, Amanda Boulier, who threw an awkward shot through Rooney’s five-hole to open the scoring in Minnesota. It was the blueliner’s first strike of the season.
Things were looking meek for the home team as it took Minnesota nine minutes to put a shot on Ottawa netminder Emerance Maschmeyer. However, Rooney solidified herself in net to dominate the rest of the game.
“Maddie Rooney is going to be huge for us,” Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said before the game.
Ottawa headed into the dressing room with the lead after 20 minutes.
It took Minnesota only two and a half minutes to change their fortunes in the second period. After a scuffle in front of the net, Minnesota forward Abby Boreen popped the puck through Maschmeyer’s pads. Although the goal was unassisted, Minnesota defender Sophie Jaques started the chance in her first game for the team.
Jaques joined Minnesota’s starting lineup after being acquired from PWHL Boston in the PWHL’s first-ever trade. She started on the first defensive pairing with Lee Stecklein.
“I’m excited to play,” Jaques said before the game. “There’s a lot going on outside, but being on the ice will help me forget all of that and I’m excited to get out there with this new group.”
Rooney and Maschmeyer kept the score knotted at one throughout the remainder of the second period. So far this season, Rooney has played backup to Nicole Hensley, who is one of the top goaltenders this season with a remarkable .934 save percentage. Against Ottawa, Rooney put up a stellar .954 save percentage in only her fourth PWHL game, proving her chops between the pipes.
Minnesota took a one-goal lead just over three minutes into the third frame as defender Maggie Flaherty rocketed the puck past Maschmeyer from the blue line.
Ottawa managed a number of dangerous shots from in close throughout the game. They had five shots from the slot compared to Minnesota’s three. Ottawa’s problem hasn’t been generating dangerous shots, but actually capitalizing on those chances.
Feb. 17: 2-1 loss to Minnesota
Minnesota followed up their win with another identical 2-1 score at TD Place Arena, which extended Ottawa’s losing streak to five games.
Minnesota has won all three meetings with Ottawa this season.
Feb. 19: 4-2 win over Boston
Gabbie Hughes scored two goals for Ottawa as they snapped their five-game losing skid against Boston with a 4-2 win at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass.
Prior to the game, MacLeod was unfazed by Ottawa’s five-game skid as she maintained her usual positive demeanor.
“Looking forward to the opportunity of spending some time together on the road,” MacLeod said.
It was a Boston homecoming for Maschmeyer, as she played several seasons between the pipes for the NCAA’s Harvard Crimson.
But it was Ottawa forward Daryl Watts who made the first move eight minutes into the first frame when she opened the scoring with her second goal of the season. The goal was an encouraging development as Watts has struggled to get on the scoresheet this season despite her high-end pedigree as a college hockey star.
Watts’ marker held up as the only goal of the first period, already equalling Ottawa’s offensive outputs in their previous two games.
Just two minutes into the second period, Boston forward Megan Keller set up forward Taylor Girard for a one timer in the slot to tie the game at one.
Ottawa’s power play later capitalized as Hughes regained the lead for Ottawa off a feed from forward Emily Clark.
“We need to get traffic in front of the net and be willing to score some dirty goals,” Boston head coach Courtney Kessel said before the game.
While shorthanded, Ottawa’s Hughes received the puck in the slot from Clark below the goal line. Hughes fired the puck home for her second of the period to give Ottawa the 3-2 lead.
Ottawa has struggled to hold leads this season, epitomized by their shocking loss to PWHL New York Feb. 4 when they gave up a three-goal lead in the dying minutes of the game.
Ottawa flipped the script this time.
Maschmeyer held off all nine of Boston’s shots through the final frame.
Boston pulled goaltender Aerin Frankel with a minute to go and applied some pressure on their opponents, but ultimately fell short.
Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner secured the victory with an empty netter, breaking the five-game skid.
Feb. 21: 3-1 loss to Boston
Plagued by old habits, Ottawa failed to score more than a single tally against Boston in a disheartening 3-1 loss on Feb. 21 at Tsongas Center.
Ottawa’s power play was a reliable source of goals through their first several games, but against Boston they went 0-for-4 and rarely put the puck into dangerous areas.
“I don’t know if we were quite ready at the start,” Ottawa forward Hayley Scamurra said postgame. “We tried a little bit too late, maybe. We have to be ready.”
Frankel turned aside 29 of 30 shots on goal in this second leg of Ottawa’s back-to-back stay in Boston. On Feb. 19, Ottawa beat Boston 4-2 to break a five-game losing skid.
Just over eight minutes into the first period, Boston star forward Alina Müller dished the puck to linemate Loren Gabel on the zone entry. Gabel then beat Maschmeyer cleanly with a wrist shot from above the right faceoff circle.
Half way through the first, Ottawa had only mustered a single shot on Frankel.
With just over four minutes remaining in the period, Watts made a drop pass to linemate Kateřina Mrázová, who fought her way to the front of the net and put away her own rebound. But the official immediately waved off the goal for goaltender interference.
But less than a minute into the second frame, Boston’s newly acquired forward Susanna Tapani deflected Keller’s point shot to reclaim the lead for Boston.
Ottawa forward Akane Shiga found a breakaway opportunity to score her first PWHL goal, but was stuffed by Frankel as she tried to beat her on the backhand.
A promising free agency signing from Japan, Shiga has yet to find her footing. She hasn’t found the scoresheet for Ottawa and often struggles to win board battles despite her high-compete level.
Boston buried Ottawa’s comeback hopes as captain Hilary Knight scored the insurance marker with six minutes to go on a 2-on-1 with Gabel. She tore into the zone and zipped the puck under the crossbar to double Boston’s lead.
With little resistance from Ottawa, Boston secured the 3-1 victory and ended their five-game losing streak.
Feb. 24: 6-3 loss to Montreal
Claire Dalton’s first career hat-trick propelled Montreal back to first place as they trounced Ottawa 6-3 at the historic Verdun Auditorium.
Nine minutes into the first period, Montreal took the lead on the power play. Montreal forward Laura Stacey fired a wrist shot from the slot off the pad of Maschmeyer. The rebound found forward Tereza Vanišová, who then beat Maschmeyer on the short side.
But a minute later, Ottawa responded.
Forward Natalie Snodgrass collected the puck after linemate Lexie Adzija redirected the puck up the boards on the Ottawa breakout. Snodgrass streaked into the Montreal zone on a 2-on-1 with Shiga. Snodgrass shot low towards Desbiens’ left pad which provided a rebound for Shiga, who scored the goal.
It was Shiga’s first point this season. Shiga is a promising young Japanese forward who has struggled to establish herself in the PWHL. This was an encouraging sign for Ottawa.
The first period ended with the game knotted at one, and the score remained the same for much of the second.
Ottawa’s power play proved to be more than just ineffective with just under two minutes to go.
While shorthanded, Dalton flew through the neutral zone with the puck and tore past Ottawa’s Tejralova to cut across the crease where she finished a backhand goal to secure the jailbreak and 2-1 lead.
Montreal led heading into the third, but the game’s low score didn’t stand long.
Two minutes into the third frame, Montreal forward Sarah Bujold sent Ann-Sophie Bettez a backhand saucer pass which left her alone in front of Maschmeyer. She beat the Ottawa netminder with a clean wrist shot and boosted the lead to 3-1.
Two minutes later, Ottawa captain Jenner carried the puck around the opposing goal where she passed to Mrázová. Mràzovà fired a one timer which deflected off Desbiens’ pad to Watts. She finished the rebound, cutting Montreal’s lead to one.
Four minutes after, Montreal star forward and captain Marie-Philip Poulin set up blueliner Erin Ambrose for a point shot which was redirected by Dalton for her second of the night.
With eight minutes remaining, Hughes drew a hooking penalty to put Ottawa on a 5-on-3 power play.
Mràzovà finally caught Desbiens out of position to bring the game within a goal.
But with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Dalton completed her hat trick with a clean wrist shot past Maschmeyer.
Ottawa pulled Maschmeyer shortly after, allowing Montreal forward Maureen Murphy to send her opponents packing with the empty-netter.
Featured image by Meghan Murphy/PWHL Boston.
