What’s old is new again.

Ottawa, riding the momentum of three straight wins, couldn’t seal the deal in their final regular-season home game, falling 3–0 to Minnesota and missing a golden opportunity to punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Minnesota played like their season was on the line. Ottawa played like there was still time.

“We knew the situation. We knew we needed three points and had to get a win,” said Frost head coach Ken Klee. “We weren’t hiding from it; there’s no sense shying away, and I know our players are great players and are used to that kind of pressure—and tonight, they performed.”

From the opening puck drop, Minnesota dictated the pace, outskated Ottawa in all three zones, and capitalized on mistakes. Ottawa, meanwhile, struggled to match the urgency.

“We knew what the opportunity was, of course,” said Charge head coach Carla MacLeod postgame. “At the end of the day, I don’t think it was a lack of effort—I just feel we were a bit blah today, and you don’t want to see that in a moment like this. That was certainly a misstep on our part. I think maybe the moment was a little bigger than we anticipated.”

The Charge were outshot 33–24 and spent large stretches hemmed in their own end, unable to cleanly exit the zone. It was a familiar issue—zone exits have plagued them all season—and it resurfaced in a big way. Sloppy passing, tentative puck movement, and poor reads allowed Minnesota to sustain pressure and generate chances.

“We knew we needed to win this one,” said Frost defender Lee Stecklein. “I think we did a good job of not being too high or too low. You can’t panic or keep playing outside of your zone. I think we did a good job of managing that, knowing every shift and every puck battle mattered.”

One of the few bright spots for Ottawa was Gwyneth Philips, who turned aside 30 shots and did everything she could to keep her team within reach. Without her, this one could have been out of hand early.

At the other end, Nicole Hensley stopped all 24 shots she faced, recording her first shutout of the season and the second of her PWHL career. The 3–0 result also marked the second time this season that Minnesota has shut out Ottawa.

After the final horn, the weight of the missed opportunity was clear—but the door to the postseason isn’t closed yet.

“It would be nice to be up here after a win and with the ‘X’ beside our name,” said Emily Clark. “But I think it would be silly if we tried to start from scratch and lost the belief that we've been building. Bottom line, we’ve got a win in Toronto in a couple days. We're still in this fight and in charge of our destiny.”

For Charge fans, it’s an all-too-familiar storyline. Just like last season, Ottawa’s playoff hopes now come down to a must-win game on the road against Toronto. Last time, they lost 5–2 and watched their season end.

They’ll get one more chance to rewrite the script.