TORONTO - Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod is just happy to be getting on a bus next week.
Kateřina Mrázová scored 2:52 into overtime to lift Ottawa to a 2-1 regular-season finale win over the Toronto Sceptres and a playoff berth Saturday in the Professional Women's Hockey League.
It's the first time Ottawa is making the post-season in the PWHL's two years of existence. Last season, the Charge needed a regulation win to clinch a playoff spot but fell 5-2 to Toronto in their regular-season finale.
"Happy to get on a bus," MacLeod said with a smile. "For us, this league is so tight.
"The fact that today had the variables involved today, that five teams could have changed their positioning within the standings is just, kudos to the league."
The Charge came in needing a win of any kind, or a Minnesota loss against Boston later Saturday, to secure a playoff spot.
Ottawa lost 3-0 to Minnesota on Wednesday with a chance to move six or seven points ahead of the Frost — with either an overtime/shootout win or a regulation win — and clinch a playoff spot.
"It's really exciting. A little bit of relief," Mrázová said. "I wanted to skate all the way back to (goaltender) Gwyneth (Philips), but at the same time the whole group was coming.
"Just really happy for the group, how we did the whole season, not just this game. Worked really hard, so really proud of everyone."
Defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota defeated Boston 8-1 later Saturday to still be able to clinch a playoff spot. Ottawa, Minnesota and Boston all finished the regular season tied with 44 points, but Ottawa (12) and Minnesota (10) took the tiebreakers on regulation wins.
"This group is really special and we worked so hard tonight and I think we got the outcome that we deserve. So it feels good and we're looking forward to playoffs," Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque said after the win over her former team.
Spending most of the season out of the playoff picture, Ottawa surged since the February international break. The Charge boasted a 7-2-2-4 record in that span, while averaging 2.93 goals per game.
Ottawa averaged 1.80 goals per contest before Feb. 11, the fewest in the PWHL.
"We're more playoff ready (this year)," Larocque said. "Because I think last year (with Toronto), when you know that you made playoffs and I don't know, what February maybe last year we knew that we were making playoffs, so I think this just prepares the group better.
"And I feel really confident with this group that we're ready for playoffs because we've been making a really hard playoff push so I think it just gets you in the right mindset, your habits and your details. So I think it's a blessing to have to fight for a spot, honestly."
Toronto had a playoff spot secured heading into Saturday. The Sceptres had a chance to steal first place with a regulation win, along with a New York regulation win later Saturday against first-place Montreal.Â
The top-seeded team entering the post-season gets its choice of opponent for the best-of-five semifinal series. Toronto will open the playoffs at home Wednesday, while Montreal starts Thursday with the opponents being determined Sunday evening.
"I would have loved to, you know, be sitting up tonight and having a beer and talking about who we're going to pick," Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said. "It's a unique rule that the PWHL has put forth and I think it's, you know, there's a privilege and there's an honour there, right, that you get to select that opponent.
"Whether we made the right choice or wrong choice last year, I still would rather be in a position to pick the team than have someone pick it for you. So, you know, obviously hats off to Montreal for putting themselves in a situation where they can either set their team up for success or they can, you know, hand it to us."
This report by ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥was first published May 3, 2025.
