On a night where the Toronto Sceptres controlled almost every meaningful stretch of play, they finally earned the payoff: a steady, composed 3–1 win over Ottawa — their first home victory. 

The game could not have started on a stranger note. Ottawa’s first shot of the night, just 1:45 in, slid five-hole through Toronto starter Elaine Chuli for a tough 1–0 goal by Fanuza Kadirova. But from there, Toronto owned the ice. They outshot Ottawa 18–4 in the opening frame and piled up a parade of early power plays, only to be stymied repeatedly by Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Phillips, who was brilliant in the first half of the game.

Toronto’s breakthrough finally came on their fourth power play in the second period when Daryl Watts ripped her first goal of the season through a screen to tie it 1–1. It was the kind of clean, confident release Toronto had been missing — and a sign of how much her return stabilizes the top unit.

The top line struck again in the middle of the second. Watts floated a puck toward the crease and Natalie Spooner, battling through two defenders, deflected it home to give Toronto its first lead at 2–1. Spooner was a force all night — physical, dangerous in transition, even creating a mini-breakaway in the third as she continues rounding back into form.

Ottawa pushed back in the third, their first stretch of sustained life all game, but Chuli held firm when it mattered. And with Ottawa’s net empty in the final minute, Blayre Turnbull lofted an insurance goal from the blue line to seal the win, her second of the season.

"I think the points right now are going to prove to be pretty valuable as teams start to probably play to their full potential," said coach Troy Ryan after the game.

"So we'll take what we can get. We don't want to be a team that's just judged whether we won or lost. You know, I thought the Boston game was probably a more complete game than tonight's game was, so we probably got maybe a little ripped off in the Boston game, and we end up winning this game without playing as good as we played in that game. So overall, we're probably where we need we should be, point wise."

The top line is again intact — and instantly meaningful

With Daryl Watts back in the lineup after missing only one game, Toronto finally reunited Watts, Spooner, and Maltais and the difference was immediate. Watts provided a spark, scoring the tying goal on the power play and later sending the puck toward the net on the play that produced Spooner’s go-ahead tip. The three of them looked cohesive, driving pace, creating chances, and giving Toronto a dangerous unit. 

"That's what Watts is there for. She's there to produce," said coach Troy Ryan.

"And when you get Watts scoring, Spooner scoring, that's what this group's going to have to do. And nice to see Blayre – she's had a couple great, you know, open nets the last two games that I know she's probably feeling. So it's just nice to see her get rewarded with a good defensive play and get one in the net."

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Natalie Spooner is trending upward

Spooner didn’t just score — she looked like herself again. The explosiveness, the confidence, the power through the middle of the ice all came back into view. Her mini-breakaway in the third, where she shrugged off defenders and carried the puck in alone, was one of those signature Spooner moments that had been missing last season. This was the kind of game that demonstrates she’s back in form, and that’s a meaningful development for a team that needs her presence in the offensive zone.

"It feels nice when I can get pucks around the net, take pucks to the net, drive pucks to the net. I think that's what makes me successful and makes my teammates successful too. It feels good when I'm able to do those things and feeling good doing them," said Spooner.

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Elaine Chuli’s start was shaky, but she steadied

Chuli’s debut as the Sceptres’ free-agent goaltender started about as poorly as possible, with Ottawa’s first shot sliding through five-hole. But after that moment, she gathered herself. The second period ended with her making a couple of key saves during Ottawa’s only real push of the first forty minutes, and the third period was steadier still — not always clean in her movements, occasionally looking behind her, but ultimately getting the job done. It wasn’t a statement game, but it was a composed recovery after a nervy start.

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Ottawa’s discipline issues shaped the night

Ottawa never found much rhythm because they never stopped marching to the penalty box. The parade of infractions handed Toronto six power plays, giving the Sceptres long stretches of unbroken puck possession even when their power play wasn’t particularly sharp. The penalties didn’t just cost Ottawa momentum — they prevented any kind of meaningful flow from developing until the third period, when they finally cleaned things up out of necessity. Toronto didn’t fully capitalize on the man advantage, but the cumulative effect tilted the entire game in their favour.

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Gwyneth Phillips kept Ottawa in it

Despite Toronto’s territorial dominance, this was a close game and that was almost entirely because of Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Phillips. She turned away a heavy barrage in the first period, including an outrageous desperation stick save on Blayre Turnbull, and continued to frustrate Toronto’s shooters on a night where the Sceptres could easily have been up by several. Even in defeat, she was Ottawa’s standout player by a wide margin.

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Stick It To Cancer Night has extra meaning

With Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod in the house, the annual Stick It To Cancer game had special significance for everyone involved. Toronto's goaltender from season one, Erica Howe, who battled breast cancer herself, was on hand to drop the puck in a ceremonial faceoff, and she wore a 'MacLeod' Canada jersey, drawing cheers from the fans. After the game, the Sceptres lined up to embrace the popular coach one by one.

MacLeod said, "I think it speaks to the impact cancer has on all of our lives, and how in these moments just everything from a competitive piece just falls away and it's just a human piece. It's really, really overwhelming for me. I'm so grateful. It's just been this whole massive wave of just love. But I just hope to pay it forward."