The gap between the top and bottom halves of the PWHL standings continues to grow.
PWHL Ottawa lost to PWHL Minnesota and PWHL Boston in its most recent stretch of games, although they did also manage to defeat PWHL Montreal.
Ottawa is 1-0-2-1 in March after a dreadful February where the team went 2-0-4-1. Regardless, Ottawa is only one point back of Boston for the final playoff position.
March 5: 4-3 shootout loss Minnesota
Ottawa backup goalie Sandra Abstreiter gave her team every chance to win, stopping 43 of 46 shots through regulation and overtime against Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center.
But in the fifth round of Ottawa’s first-ever shootout, Abstreiter’s opponent played their trump card. Star forward Taylor Heise stole the victory for Minnesota with a deadly wrister to steal the 4-3 shootout win.
Ottawa has not won outside of regulation this season in five attempts.
‘We need to learn to manage the game’
Minnesota simply outclassed Ottawa in the first period.
Just over seven minutes into the game, Heise’s shot ricocheted off Ottawa forward Emily Clark to the stick of Minnesota forward Abby Boreen, who easily beat an out-of-position Abstreiter.
Five minutes later, forward Denisa Křížová doubled Minnesota’s lead, recieving a pass from linemate Grace Zumwinkle while entering the zone and ripping the puck clean past Abstreiter.
Ottawa quickly turned momentum and started applying heavy pressure in the offensive zone.
Just over a minute after Křížová’s goal, Minnesota blueliner Emma Greco attempted to send the puck out of her zone, but the puck was picked off by Ottawa forward Hayley Scamurra, who sent a rocket to the back of the Minnesota net, slicing the deficit in half.
Captain Brianne Jenner weaved and left a drop pass for forward Daryl Watts, who sent a pinpoint pass through a crowd of opposing players to the blade of Kateřina Mrázová. Mrázová deflected the pass into the back of the net.
“It just showed a lot about the character of our group,” Scamurra said. “We bounced back quicker than we have in games past.”
Ottawa carried their offensive momentum into the second period, claiming the lead less than a minute in.
While falling to the ice, Jenner threw a shot on Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney that tipped off Watts in the slot to find Mrázová, who deposited the easy goal to take the lead.
However, being one of the league’s top teams, Minnesota is no stranger to erasing leads.
With less than nine minutes into the final period, Zumwinkle received a hand off from forward Kelly Pannek while streaking up the boards in the neutral zone. She entered the zone and spotted Křížová in the middle slot, who sniped a shot over Abstreiter’s shoulder to tie the game..
“We had the lead for a little bit, there,” Scamurra said. “We need to learn to manage the game so that we can keep it.”
While Ottawa has lost their last four overtime appearances, their extra-time against Minnesota was uncharacteristically well-executed. Ottawa maintained significant possession throughout but only managed to put two shots on Rooney.
After surviving an overtime period for the first time in franchise history, Ottawa faced a test of skill in the shootout.
Minnesota’s Křížová and Ottawa’s Scamurra traded goals to open, but then the goalies took over.
Rooney stoned Ottawa’s Watts and Jenner, while Abstreiter shut the door on Pannek and Boreen.
Then Zumwinkle, Minnesota’s top scorer, had the chance to apply some pressure. She roofed the puck top corner.
Clark couldn’t match Zumwinkle, putting all the pressure on Abstreiter to make another save to keep her team alive.
Minnesota sent out first overall pick Heise, who danced into the zone before pulling right and firing home a wrister to send Ottawa packing.
March 10: 4-2 win over Montreal
The Laval, Que. crowd fell silent as Montreal succumbed to goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer’s 34-save performance in Ottawa’s 4-2 victory on March 10.
While Montreal had an excuse playing without captain Marie Phillip-Poulin and forward Claire Dalton, Ottawa overcame their season-long offensive struggles and held the lead from the first period.
Maschmeyer steals the show
Maschmeyer was pulled for the first time in her most recent appearance against Toronto after allowing three straight goals. It was another story in this game.
On the rush, Ottawa forward Mrázová sent the puck across the slot to Jenner, who fired the puck shortside past Montreal goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Mrázová extended her point streak to six games, amassing an impressive four goals and 10 points. Before her point streak started on Feb. 21, she had only collected three points through her first 10 games. Mrázová now leads Ottawa with 13 points and is tied for fourth place in the PWHL.
Through the first half of the second period, the score remained the same.
With seven minutes remaining in the middle frame, Mrázová cut left in the opposing zone, luring Montreal defender Erin Ambrose away from the slot before dropping a pass to Watts. She quickly ripped a wrist shot that rung off the post and into the Montreal net, giving Ottawa their first-ever two-goal lead over Montreal.
The rivalry between these two teams has been physical since they first met on Jan. 2, and that physicality only ramped up in this contest. Throughout the second period, both teams combined for six penalties, three apiece. Shockingly, not one of those power plays resulted in a goal.
Throughout the second period, Montreal’s offence posed a danger with 14 shots, but Maschmeyer demonstrated why she is one of the most revered netminders in the league and prevented Montreal from finding the back of the net.
Ottawa has struggled to close out games this season, but by the halfway mark of the third period, their two-goal lead was still safe.
Montreal finally beat Maschmeyer after 34 shots with Stacey’s one-timer rocket.
The crowd in Laval roared as Ottawa began to see the ghosts of their many third-period collapses.
But with seven minutes remaining, a power play gifted Ottawa with a chance to re-establish a two-goal lead, and they did. Just 20 seconds into the power play, Ottawa defender Aneta Tejralová’s wrist shot from the blue line found the twine.
With three minutes to go, Montreal’s pressured to even the score.
Montreal defender Kati Tabin put the puck on Maschmeyer through a crowd, and after a couple of bounces, found its way to the blade of Montreal’s Catherine Daoust. Although Ottawa’s Amanda Boulier managed to bring her down, Daoust managed to get a backhand through Maschmeyer, cutting Ottawa’s lead to 3-2.
However, Ottawa held off their opponents for the win. Hughes notched an empty-net goal for insurance.
After a 2-1 shootout loss to Boston on March 16, Ottawa is now in fifth place in the PWHL standings, while Montreal holds down third place.
Ottawa’s next matchup comes against PWHL New York at Total Mortgage Arena on March 20.
Featured image by Kelly Hagenson/PWHL.
