Despite dominating possession and star power, the Ottawa Charge are struggling to find the back of the net. Scoring depth is desperately needed to convert chances into goals and wins.
Despite strong possession numbers and a captain performing among the league's best, the Ottawa Charge find themselves struggling to convert opportunities into goals through the first four games of the PWHL season.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Captain Brianne Jenner is doing her part, sitting second in league scoring with five points, but one player cannot carry the offence alone. The Charge are third in the league in shots per game at 29, yet their 6.0% shooting percentage sits dead last. This disconnect between opportunity and execution becomes even more clear when looking at individual performances.
Perhaps the most notable example is Emily Clark. The forward is tied for second in the league with 17 shots but remains without a goal as she works her way back from a wrist injury suffered during last year's playoff run.
She's not alone in the struggle. Gabbie Hughes and Kateřina Mrázová have both been shut out through four games, while Rebecca Leslie, Mannon McMahon, and Anna Meixner have managed just one goal apiece despite opportunities. For the Charge to find offensive success, the team's top players have to step up and provide the scoring depth that they are capable of.
Possession vs. Production
The disconnect becomes harder to explain when examining Ottawa's underlying numbers. In three of their first four games, the Charge have posted higher faceoff percentages than their opponents, led by Brianne Jenner's 69.6% and fourth-line centre Alexa Vasko's 62.5% in the dot.
Yet despite starting with the puck more often, Ottawa is giving up an average of 32.75 shots against per game, the worst in the league. They have struggled particularly in the first and third periods, where they've been outshot 96 to 77. The team continually turns to starter Gwyneth Philips, who leads the league with 118 saves, to make up for their defensive gaffs, requiring her to be as close to perfect every game. This expectation would be a difficult standard to meet for any elite goaltender, of which she is.
The Charge are doing many of the right things to control the play, as their second period shot performance would indicate. But until they can extend that success to a full 60-minutes and convert on their chances, those positive numbers won't translate to wins and points.
Adjustments Needed
The Ottawa Charge have relied heavily on generating a single, quality shot, often from the point, but have struggled to maintain a net-front presence. Establishing that presence would create secondary scoring opportunities, allowing players to capitalize on rebounds, and screen goaltenders which would increase the success rate of that initial shot.
Additionally, the team needs to move away from a "pass first" mentality when searching for that perfect shot. While they're generating a respectable number of shots, being more aggressive in shooting situation could lead to more goals through deflections, scrambles in front, and secondary opportunities.
With the talent on this roster and strong underlying possession numbers, the goals should come for this team. The question remains as to whether Ottawa can make the necessary adjustments before falling too far behind in the standings.