Ottawa is coming off a big win over PWHL Toronto, and now they'll look to take down top ranked Minnesota on home ice.
Ottawa is coming off a big win over PWHL Toronto, and now they'll look to take down top ranked Minnesota on home ice.
After a successful 5-1 win over Toronto on Saturday, Ottawa will return home to TD Place to take on the league’s top team in Minnesota. It will be Ottawa’s first home game since January 2nd, their season opener against Montreal where they fell 3-2 in overtime.
The opponent
Minnesota arrives with a record of 3-0-1 and they are the first PWHL team to catch fire in the opening weeks. Their strength has been their goaltending and top six scoring this year. 9-of-10 goals have come from their top six, which has exposed the bottom of their lineup when depth scoring has been needed. Their lone goal from the bottom six came from Sophia Kunin on their season opener on January 3rd.
Their goaltending has given them a chance to win every night. Minnesota has been outshot three out of four games, but Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney have stood tall while splitting their games at two apiece. They sit at #1 and #2 in league save percentage, with a combined .947 save percentage. The pair has only allowed six goals in four games.
Player to watch: Grace Zumwinkle
The Minnesota representative has had an up and down season. She recorded four goals in her first two games, including the first hat trick in league history against Montreal. She scored four goals on his first seven shots, but has gone 0/12 in her past two, despite ramping up her shot pace. She has two game winning goals on the year. Ottawa has done a good job at defending Montreal and Toronto, but defending players like Zumwinkle will be a tougher test.
Ottawa comes back home with a 1-0-1 record, after a successful win against Toronto in their first road game. Ottawa received goals from three lines, while going 2-for-2 on the power play. After their 10-day layoff due to their cancelled game against Boston, the team was flying around the ice and thriving in the offensive zone.
Player to watch: Gabbie Hughes
Hughes is one of two players who are Minnesota products on Ottawa with Natalie Snodgrass the other. While not scoring in the first game of the season, Hughes did not disappoint in the last game against Toronto. The winger scored two goals, with one on the power play and one at even strength. Ottawa will watch to see if she can continue that pace against Minnesota. One thing is for sure, Gabbie Hughes is ecstatic to play in front of the Ottawa fans once again.
“The fans are unbelievable,” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see them Wednesday and playing in front of them again.”
Ottawa will look to build on their win this past weekend and continue to find success in their slow but steady season. Their match today will be aired at 7pm EST on Bally Sports North Extra (U.S. only) and streamed on TSN+ and YouTube.