Gwyneth Philips leads the Ottawa Charge to a 2-0 shutout win over the Toronto Sceptres, leapfrogging their provincial rivals back into the fourth and final playoff spot with three games left in the season.
At this point in the season, a win is a win and points are points, and that's exactly what Ottawa will be thinking about as they skate away from this 2-0 shutout of Toronto on goals from Brianne Jenner and Sarah Wozniewicz. While there is a lot to unpack about this game, this was undeniably all about one thing: the performance of Gwyneth Philips.
This game was another reminder of just how much this team rides and dies based on the performance of their starting netminder. She is their MVP, their rock, their most important pillar, and she showed it again in this game. And for the second time this season, Philips secures a shutout win for her team, making a regular-season career high of 42 saves in the process.
Breaking down her performances feels like stating the obvious to anyone who has seen Philips play. When she is dialled in, as she was in this game, she sees the puck on another level, anticipates plays as they unfold, and is the calming presence her team needs. This game saw the Charge give up several high-danger scoring chances, especially in tight, but Philips was there. The team was outshot in each period, but again, Philips was there.
"I feel pretty good, but I'm just excited to be back in the playoff spot," Philips said. "We've got some good energy in the locker room, so I'm looking forward to the next three games."
While the team ended their three-game losing streak and regained their playoff position with three games left on the season, both of which are important, there are notable areas of concern. The first of which is tied to the aforementioned.
Over their past two games, yes, they've lost, but Ottawa at least looked like they belonged. Strong from first puck drop to the final buzzer, only stymied in the end by puck luck. This game was anything but. Significantly outshot, especially through the first two periods (19-6, 14-5), the team was unable to string together any momentum. The defenders looked out of sorts, making simple mistakes that led to scoring chances and were unable to exit their zone with control. The defenders also, at times, were unable to slow the pace of the game, which is an underrated part of a defender's game. Rushed plays meant that things often felt, and certainly looked, disjointed at times in their own end.
The other notable opportunity is the player advantage. Entering this game, the Charge led the league in percentage of team goals on the power play at 26.3%. That number would be more tolerable if it came with results, but of late, it hasn't. Ottawa had five chances with the player advantage in this game, but was unable to take advantage of it. For any team in this league, having that many chances with the advantage cannot be missed, but it's exacerbated when the team is so reliant on that area for scoring. At different points this season, they've led the league with the advantage, but today's performance has now dropped them to 18.1%. The silver lining in this game was that even strength played its part, but finding a better balance needs to be a priority.
The Ottawa Charge came away with a much-needed three points, especially important against the exact opponent they are directly competing with for that final playoff spot. There were undoubtedly opportunities coming away from this game that will need to be addressed between now and their next game at home on April 18 against Boston. But for now, Charge fans can enjoy the positives. Gwyneth Philips secures the shutout, Haley Irwin gets her first PWHL win as a head coach, and Ottawa now finds itself back into a playoff position with another chance at a run at the Walter Cup.