Charge Hoping It's Home Sweet Home As Even Series Arrives In Ottawa

Following a thrilling game two victory over the Boston Fleet on Saturday to earn them the early series split, the Ottawa Charge have returned to the nation's capital, where they will play their next two games at the Canadian Tire Centre. With almost a full week between games, the group has had an opportunity to rest, settle into old routines, and mend playoff wounds.

"It's been nice to be able to settle back into Ottawa, sleep in your own bed and getting back into your routines," Jocelyne Larocque said. "We're looking at it as an advantage to get that extra rest and be ready to go on Friday."

Greeting the Charge in their new playoff home is the team's logo painted at centre ice, and the opportunity for more fans to watch the team in their two semifinal playoff games.

"We've been so fortunate from the moment that Ottawa was going to have a PWHL team," said head coach Carla MacLeod. "Our fans have rallied, and we have great support there at TD Place. We filled a great barn there, but it is exciting to be able to come into the CTC and have that number of fans be able to cheer us on. The logo at centre ice makes you smile. It feels very professional."

Through the first two games of this series, the performance of goaltender Gwyneth Philips is likely the first thought that comes to the minds of Charge fans, and for good reason. Philips leads all playoff goaltenders with a .949 save percentage and is tied for first with her semifinal counterpart, Aerin Frankel, with a 1.52 goals against average. The next name that comes to mind might be a veteran of the group.

The performance of veteran Larocque, the "Ageless Wonder," as coined by captain Brianne Jenner,  has been a welcome surprise. Her three points through the first two games of the playoffs lead all defenders in playoff scoring, and bring her ten-game Charge playoff total to seven points (two goals, five assists) in ten games. Once again, much like last year at this time, Larocque proves that she has another gear this time of year.

"She's very impressive, and she definitely uses her experience," said Rory Guilday. "You can just tell that she sees the game really well. She jumps on pucks, she is very confident in what she's doing, and I feel she leads the group in that sense. Having some core veterans on the back end really helps us, and it's been great to work with her and watch her."

Ottawa has already seen success in certain areas in its matchup against the Fleet. Of course, much of that success can be attributed to Philips' performance, but there are other areas as well.

The Charge have limited the time they've spent in the penalty box (14 penalty minutes to Boston's 29) and have also held a dangerous Fleet team scoreless on the power play. They've also seen an improvement game over game in the faceoff dot, increasing their win rate from 36.7% in game one to 50.8% in game two, thanks in large part to forward Gabbie Hughes winning 50% of her draws. While the group is excited to have returned home and to have done so in the way they have against the league's second-best team, Ottawa knows they've yet to show the Fleet their best.

"I don't think we've really had our best game yet," Jenner shared. "I think there's some things that we have to tighten up without the puck. I think we have to get our forecheck going. It's positive to come back to Ottawa with a split, but I think we've got some work to do."

For now, the Ottawa Charge will continue working on the details, all while eagerly anticipating what will undoubtedly be a raucous game three on Friday evening at the Canadian Tire Centre.