The Boston Fleet became the fastest team in PWHL history to clinch a playoff spot. The Fleet secured their spot in the playoffs in their 24th game of the season recording their 13th regulation win, a 4-2 shutout against the Minnesota Frost who sit third in the standings. 

Making her PWHL debut, rookie goaltender Amanda Thiele made 21 saves in the win, while Sophie Shirley scored a pair to lead the Fleet to the win.

Haley Winn opened the scoring for Boston in the first, followed by Shirley who has now scored three goals and five points in four games for Boston since returning from LTIR.

Minnesota looked like they were about to turn the tides with Lee Stecklein and Taylor Heise tying the game in the second period, but just over two minutes after Heise evened the score at 2-2, Liz Schepers scored her third goal in the last two games to reclaim Boston's lead.

In the third, Shirley wried a shot from the face-off dot that beat Minnesota's Nicole Hensley to cap the scoring in front of 9,925 in Minnesota.

Kendall Coyne Schofield was making her return for the Minnesota Frost after being placed on LTIR retroactive to February 19, the date of the gold medal victory for USA at the Olympics. She immediately made a contribution assisting on both Minnesota goals. 

Boston has opened up a five point lead for themselves in first place at 51 points, but the Montreal Victoire remain red hot matching PWHL Toronto's run in the inaugural season by recording points in their last 11 games. Montreal sits second with 46 points and a game in hand on Boston. Minnesota's loss kept them squarely in third, four points behind Montreal at 42.

Behind the trio of top teams however, is where the real race resides. Despite expanding to eight teams this season, the PWHL decided to maintain a four team playoff system. With their regulation win over last place Seattle, coupled with Toronto's regulation loss to Vancouver, the Ottawa Charge vaulted into the fourth and final playoff spot where they sit with 33 points in 23 games. Toronto now finds themselves in fifth place with 31 points in 24 games. The two teams will play each other three more times this season in what nearly amounts to a play-in style showdown.

Neither Toronto nor Ottawa however, is guaranteed the final spot as New York and Vancouver sit with an identical 27 points, each having played 23 games. And while the Seattle Torrent, who sit alone in last with 22 points in 23 games are not mathematically eliminated, at this point they are looking at a need to go undefeated, or close to it in their final seven games, while needing other teams to falter.