The opening game of the 2026 Walter Cup playoffs was physical. The PWHL has always had a level of physicality, but the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge showed how that element is elevated in the postseason.
The first game of the 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs took place on Thursday, with the Boston Fleet leaving with a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge.
The matchup was announced on Sunday, and fans anticipated a physical battle; however, three penalties in the first 10 minutes of the game and 25 penalty minutes in the first period previewed the battle to come between the two teams at the Tsongas Center.
Riley Brengman received the first penalty for holding. The Fleet killed the power play, holding Ottawa to zero shots.
Shortly after, Emily Clark went to the box for the Charge, followed by Jessie Eldridge, who was penalized for roughing.
Following the game, Charge head coach Carla MacLeod shared her thoughts on the physical matchup.
“Obviously, two highly competitive teams both embrace speed and physicality, and certainly we saw that here this evening, and suspect that will be maintained throughout the entire series.”
Offensively, Ottawa had a slow start. The Charge recorded their first shot of the game at 13:07 and were outshot 7-5 in the first period, setting up an early advantage for Boston.
“We had some opportunities that maybe we just didn't get the puck on the net at the time that we wanted,” MacLeod said. “But the game plan doesn't change.”
Ryland MacKinnon received a major and game misconduct for a hit to Gabbie Hughes's head.
Just 18 minutes into the first period, Jocelyne Larocque capitalized on Ottawa's momentum by tipping a shot from Rory Guilday to give the Charge a 1-0 lead.
Two more penalties were assessed: one to Brianne Jenner and one to Gwyneth Philips for tripping.
When asked about the number of penalties her team took, MacLeod shared her perspective.
“At the end of the day, like, it's kind of the least of our concerns. You just go and play, refs are doing their job. We're trying to do our job. Certainly, there were a lot of special teams. We had to use our fingers at one point to figure out what the situation we're going to be in is and how long [it's going to last],” MacLeod said.
With the Fleet entering the second period in need of a goal, their persistence paid off at 17:56, when Alina Muller tied the game with a wicked weave past the defenders and Philips.
“I just kind of tried to fling it to the net,” Muller said. “I think I just kind of got lucky, found a hole, and again, Jessie made a really great play, and I was able to just kind of find a way through there, and got lucky right through the five hole there.”
Two penalties were assessed in the second period, bringing the penalty minute total to 29 after 40 minutes of play.
Before the second period ended, Jaime Lee Rattray scored through Philips' legs, giving the Fleet their first lead.
After the game, Rattray said she didn’t realize the puck went in until the crowd reacted.
The Boston Fleet came out stronger offensively in the second and entered the third period leading 2-1.
The physical play and penalty calls continued in the third period.
Fleet head coach Kris Sparre shared his opinion on the penalties.
“That's this playoff hockey,” Sparre said. “Honestly, there's no secret recipe. You got to find a way. There's going to be penalties. There are going to be lines and line combinations that get mixed and mixed around for us throughout the season. We've done quite a bit of that. It's pretty simple business, and we're acclimated with that.”
Ottawa entered the third period with 10 shots to Boston’s 22.
The third period was scoreless. Two more penalties brought the game total to 10.
The final buzzer confirmed Boston’s first postseason win.
Boston now leads the five-game series 1-0.
“I thought our group did a pretty good job, but I think we're just ready to go,” Sparre said. “The energy in the building this morning was a lot of fun, I think everyone was just kind of ready to go.”
The teams meet Saturday again at the Tsongas Center to continue the series.