Ottawa took Game 1 of the PWHL Finals in dramatic fashion, beating the Minnesota Frost 2–1 in overtime at TD Place to take an early 1–0 lead in the series.
The festivities kicked off early, with “Electric Avenue” buzzing as fans lined the walkway to cheer on players as they arrived. The crowd of 6,184 inside brought the noise from the opening faceoff, waving rally towels and blowing their kazoos, which have quickly become a tradition at Charge home games.
On the ice, Minnesota came in with the most first-period goals in the league this season, while Ottawa had the fewest goals allowed in the first period. The result was a scoreless opening frame, with most of the action happening in the neutral zone.
Ottawa’s own Rebecca Leslie opened the scoring at 11:34 of the second period, sending a shot bar down for her second goal of the playoffs. Leslie has become known for setting the tone early, having also scored the opener in the series-clinching game against Montreal.
“Being from Ottawa, seeing how much this fanbase has gotten behind our team is truly special,” Leslie said.
“We don’t take for granted every chance to play in front of this crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many fans here or heard it this loud. It’s an honour to keep playing in front of them, and their energy really fuels our momentum.”
The Charge carried that momentum into the third period, when a misplay behind the net by Ottawa starter Gwyneth Philips at 5:24 allowed Minnesota’s Katy Knoll to grab the puck and get it out to Klára Hymlárová to tie the game. For a stretch following that goal, it felt as though Ottawa may have taken their foot off the gas a little, displaying tendencies that they have throughout the season. But unlike earlier in the season, they demonstrated their resiliency, composure and confidence in their play, pushing back against Minnesota’s attack and getting the game to overtime despite being outshot 10-3 in the frame.
This game, much like every single game that Ottawa has played in these playoffs, was to be decided by a single goal. And that single goal came courtesy of Emily Clark, who used her speed to skate down the boards, sending a wrist shot past Minnesota’s Nicole Hensley for the game-winner at 2:47 of overtime. “Clarky” chants rained down from the crowd as fans erupted, with some even waving Saskatchewan flags in a nod to the Ottawa forward’s roots. It was her second goal of the postseason, and with it, she became the first player in PWHL history to record back-to-back playoff game-winning goals. Philips finished with 25 saves and marked her third consecutive game allowing one or fewer goals.
“We made some jokes about trying to get it done in less than four,” Clark said, smiling. “But no, we were just trying to stick to our game plan. But obviously, the relief is that we get to go to bed a lot earlier than last time.”
“She just plays her heart out,” said head coach Carla MacLeod.
“Every single game, every single shift, she absolutely loves playing here in Ottawa. You back it up to her final two shifts in the third period and you could just see that she just found another gear. So, it was special that she was able to corral that puck and carry it out the ice and get the game winner.”
The Charge now move to 3–0 at home in the playoffs and have the early edge in the battle for the Walter Cup. Game 2 will take place back at TD Place on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.