The kazoos were loud, and the cheers were deafening as the Ottawa Charge took to the ice for their home opener against the New York Sirens. It took two full periods before New York was able to break through on a goal from forward Taylor Girard at 7:49 of the third period. Girard would go on to score two more for her first career PWHL hat trick, and Maya Nylen-Persson added an empty net goal, en route to a 3-0 New York win in front of 7,371 at TD Place.

Instant Analysis

The Positives

In the early stages of this game, the Ottawa Charge established their physical presence. Forward Fanuza Kadirova set the tone and her teammates followed that lead, culminating in a Gabbie Hughes - Micah Zandee-Hart standoff near the end of the first. The coaching staff wanted this to be a part of their identity and the players bought in.

The team's strong forecheck, strength along the boards, and aggressive pursuit of the puck meant that they spent much of the first period and a half in the offensive zone. When they did find themselves in their own end, which happened for stretches late, Gwyneth Philips looked to be in midseason form and was there to make the save.

Needs Improvement

The team will need to focus on their net front presence at both ends of the ice. In their own zone, they allowed New York too many scoring opportunities off rebounds, which accounted for two of the goals. With defenders like Guilday and Savolainen in the lineup, clearing out the front of the net needs to be a priority in order to be successful.

At the other end of the ice, the team once again relied upon a good first shot being the scoring opportunity, rarely having a player net front to pick up a potential rebound. This has been a sore spot for the team since the departure of Hayley Scamurra last season. Using a player like Gabbie Hughes or Anna Meixner in that role could provide that secondary scoring opportunity the team is starving for.

Too many shots. The team is thankful to have the strength of a goaltender like Philips, otherwise this game could have become out of hand. Philips finished with 38 saves which is unsustainable for an entire season.

The team also continues to struggle with the player advantage, an issue persistent from last season. Through the two preseason games and the home opener, the Charge remain scoreless in this category, going 0 for 11. They struggle to get set up, and when they do, they elect to pass rather than attempting a shot on goal. Quantity over quality is often a winning recipe.

Quotables

"Every game in this league, you're going to learn something. For this group, just dialling in on our systems and structure in the d-zone especially. Getting some goals scoring going starting in practice and hopefully that can translate over to the game." - Gabbie Hughes

The Ottawa Charge next take to the ice on Wednesday, November 26 at home against the Vancouver Goldeneyes. This game will feature the return of many former players, including Tereza Vanišová, Ashton Bell, and Emerance Maschmeyer.