Calgary's Saddledome played host to the latest edition of the PWHL's Takeover Tour, and with a playoff spot on the line, featured a battle between more than just provincial rivals.
In the league's second-to-last Takeover Tour game of the season, Claire Dalton's third-period goal helped the Toronto Sceptres defeat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 in front of 16,150 at Calgary's Saddledome. The win moved the Sceptres back into a playoff spot, as they leapfrog the Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Calgary certainly showed up for this one, as that attendance total is the second-highest this season among Takeover Tour games, trailing only Washington's 17,228.
While Toronto was able to sustain momentum and offensive pressure for longer stretches in this game, Ottawa didn't do itself any favours. A lack of confidence with the puck and uncertain passes, issues that have plagued the team throughout the season, made it easy for the Sceptres to hold the zone, generate more chances, and come away with the regulation win.
But Ottawa's struggles went beyond that in this game. They continue to struggle with the player advantage, going 0-for-4, and move to 0-for-9 over their past two games. Ottawa hasn't scored on the power play since Rebecca Leslie scored in overtime against the Montreal Victoire on March 22. Coming into this game, the Charge led the league on the power play and had scored 26.4% of their goals on the season with the advantage. Struggling in this area as much as they have over this stretch, especially when it's been such an important aspect to their game, could prove to be costly when the final horn sounds on the season.
Fanuza Kadirova, who scored her eighth of the season, continues to be a bright spot on this team. Time and time again in this game, Kadirova was somehow involved in the play: driving the net, jumping on rebounds, or stick-handling around an opponent, she seems to be a magnet for the puck. This game was yet another example of how quickly she's adapted to the PWHL's speed and physicality and how she's become an impact player in this league.
The 2025-26 PWHL playoff picture continues to take shape, with both the Boston Fleet and the Montreal Victoire securing their postseason tickets. And with the Minnesota Frost holding a sizeable lead in the third spot, this season may once again come down to a battle between Ottawa and Toronto. With two more matchups between these two teams, including on the final day of the season, will Charge fans see a repeat of last year, or will Sceptres fans have the last laugh?
Ottawa now heads back to the nation's capital, where they will face off against the newly playoff-minted Victoire for a game at the Canadian Tire Centre on Friday.