The New York Sirens earned the first overall pick in 2024 via the Gold Plan. It meant they were the first team eliminated from 2024 playoff contention. Fast forward and it looks like a near inevitability that New York will soon be playing for draft positioning, not the playoffs, yet again. Montreal and Toronto have already distanced themselves to a point where New York can no longer catch them in the standings.
The only part that will sting more for New York than missing the playoffs in the first two years of league history, is the fact that if the PWHL expands, New York won't get the first overall pick regardless of the Gold Plan.
Scenarios To Knock Out New York
There are plenty. With five games remaining, New York currently sits eight points back of fourth place Minnesota, and six points back back of fifth place Ottawa, who have a game in hand.
New York and Ottawa play March 25. This game itself will have tremendous playoff implications. If Ottawa wins in regulation or overtime, they'll move into fourth. If New York loses in regulation, they'll sit nine points out with only 12 possible points available to earn in their season. The biggest issue would be that they don't sit well in tie breakers. If Ottawa were to win the March 25 game in regulation, Ottawa would have 10 regulation wins, and New York would have only five with four games remaining. It would mean New York would no longer have a tie breaker scenario where they could make the playoffs.
In that situation, New York would need to win out all four games remaining, and Ottawa and Minnesota would need to lose their rest of their games in regulation or earn a maximum of one overtime/shootout win for New York to get in.
It's a razor thin margin that banks on two teams collapsing over the last month of the season, and one, the New York Sirens, winning every game from here on out.
The Rest Of The PWHL Playoff Race Tightens
The New York Sirens can no longer catch the Montreal Victoire or Toronto Sceptres in the standings. That's the only guarantees. Beyond that, the Toronto Sceptres have pulled within one regulation win (three points) of Montreal for first. The Boston Fleet could be even closer as they're only five points back, but with a game in hand. The race for fourth is tighter than ever as well.
Currently, the Minnesota Frost hold fourth overall in the PWHL standings. Only two points behind them, with a game in hand, are the Ottawa Charge.
In all likelihood, Montreal will remain in the top two in the PWHL standings, even if they continue to struggle through to the end. That leaves Boston and Toronto fighting positions between first and third. Minnesota and Ottawa could conceivably catch one of those teams as well, but it's going to take 3-4 wins of their remaining 5-6 games, coupled with a losing streak by one of the teams above them.