The New York Sirens suffered a blow in the race for the PWHL’s final playoff spot. The Ottawa Charge defeated New York 5-1 in overtime on Saturday afternoon, pushing them to the brink of elimination.
The Sirens entered the game needing a regulation win to overtake the charge for fourth place.
“We have to take it like do or die,” Sirens star forward Sarah Fillier told PWHL sideline reporter Signa Butler before puck drop.
But New York could not match Ottawa’s firepower. The Charge scored five unanswered goals – including two jailbreak goals in the second period – to extend their lead in the standings. Ottawa improved to 39 points (8-7-1-12), leaving New York five points out of the final playoff spot with only two games remaining.
Charge goalkeeper Gwyneth Phillips had a stellar performance in her 16th consecutive game starting in net, stopping 23 of 24 shots and holding New York scoreless over the final 48:16. Kyle Osborne allowed five goals on 29 shots for New York. His 14 losses and 26 games played led all PWHL goaltenders.
The Sirens struck first with a power-play goal at 11:04 of the first period, when Petey Lewis beat the Phillips blocker side-by-side with a quick wrist shot from the bumper. But New York struggled to contain Ottawa’s offensive attack, allowing three goals on Saturday, and that proved costly.
After several scoring opportunities in the opening frame, the Charge finally took the advantage at 18:59 as captain Brianna Jenner delivered a speedy passing pass that Rebecca Leslie deflected over her shoulder into the net.
New York increased the intensity in the second, as coach Greg Fargo’s team made a solid effort to press the net hard against the Phillies – much to Ottawa’s displeasure. A highly physical frame culminated in a total of six penalties and two power plays for the Sirens.
Instead, the one in charge received the reward.
With the Sirens on a 4-on-3 advantage after a holding penalty on Leslie, Jenner led another rush and sent a shot off Osborne’s right pad. Jocelyn Larocque collected a long rebound in the slot and put it into the net at 7:54 before Osborne could recover.
Peyton Hemp scored on New York’s fourth power play of the game, 37 seconds in, at 14:08 of the middle frame for a 3–1 lead. After Casey O’Brien’s pass came back into the siren zone, Maja Nylen Persson turned the puck over under heavy pressure from Hemp’s forecheck. Charging forward Alexa Wasko drove the goal line and delivered a pass across the crease which Hemp punched into the net.
Ronja Savolainen added insurance at 3:15 of the third period, fooling Osborne with a long shot from the point. Jenner delivered the final blow on the power play at 12:28, blocking the rebound of a Larocque shot.
Jenner ranks fourth league-wide in scoring with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) after a three-point outing on Saturday. Leslie’s 13 goals are one goal shy of Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek for the PWHL lead; Her 22 points are tied with Fillier and Montreal Victoire forward Laura Stacey for fifth.
New York dropped its eighth consecutive road game (0-0-1-7) this season and fell to 2-0-1-10. Only the Seattle Torrent has the worst road point percentage. The Sirens conclude the season with two more games away from the Prudential Centre, visiting the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday and the Boston Fleet on April 25.
Fargo said after the game, “I can’t point my finger on any one specific thing, but we haven’t scored in a row, especially at home.” “On the road, when you fall behind, you start chasing the game, and it becomes harder to climb back. At home, even if you don’t score first, the crowd can help change momentum quickly. But when you’re chasing too often, it catches up to you – the matchups get tougher, and things start being stacked against you.”
Main findings after siren leaves backbreaker to charge
So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
The Sirens are not out of the playoff race yet, although the picture is not very good.
Saturday’s loss removed any control over New York’s playoff fate. With only six points available on their remaining schedule, the Sirens need a lot and a lot of help to get going in the right direction to erase the five-point deficit in the PWHL standings.
If the Charge scores more than one point in its final two games, New York will be eliminated from postseason contention. Ottawa visits second-place Fleetwood on Wednesday before hosting the Toronto Raptors on April 25.
The fifth-place Sceptres, on 34 points (9-1-5-12) with three games remaining, could also shatter New York’s playoff dreams. The Sirens need Toronto to beat Ottawa on April 25, but otherwise they are looking for a loss to the Sceptres. Toronto will visit Minnesota on Sunday before hosting New York on Tuesday, setting up a final showdown against the Charge that will likely decide who lands the final playoff spot.
The final piece of this complicated equation – and perhaps the toughest for New York – is that the Sirens must earn at least five points in the next two games to have any hope of challenging for the No. 4 seed.
The Sirens currently own the tiebreaker on charge with the slight edge in regulation wins, and will be granted a postseason nod if both teams finish the season tied. But New York will need two consecutive wins — a tall order for a team that hasn’t won on the road since Jan. 6.
Stranger things have happened, but the odds are not in their favor.
Sirens get playoff teaser with ‘Chippy’ game
The postseason stakes were palpable Saturday, and it contributed to the playoff atmosphere — both on the ice and in the stands.
Ottawa racked up 25 hits in a game marked by consistent physicality. The Charge penalized New York for any drives near Phillips’ crease, resulting in plenty of scuffles after the whistle and even similar harsh penalties to Aimee Fecteau and Rory Gilday.
The record-setting crowd of 8,605 at TD Place matched the intensity throughout the game.
“I think you can definitely see the rivalry there, and it’s definitely getting intense. But again, that’s what we want,” Sirens alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais said after the game. “We’ve done a good job of making this game a really physical game, and I think that’s what the fans want to see, and hopefully we can continue to do that. I think the fans and the atmosphere are really what make these types of games special.”
It’s a good harbinger for the postseason, where that intensity will become the norm — though New York won’t be able to experience it firsthand.
Siren’s power play faltered again
New York ended an 0-20 power-play drought on Wednesday when Maja Nylen Persson scored a 2-2 equalizer against Toronto at 14:53 of the third period. Fargo believed that such an impressive target could spark a falling unit.
“You hope something like that can push it,” Fargo said after the 3-2 regulation win. “I think scoring that goal at a key moment in our season, hopefully, can be something we can build on.”
For a moment, it seemed that way, as Lewis’ power-play score gave New York an early lead. But any positive momentum was destroyed in the second period when Ottawa became the first team in PWHL history to score multiple shorthanded goals in a single game.
The Sirens have scored three jailbreak goals in their last two games – a black mark for a power play that was already struggling to produce offensive output.
These types of mistakes can end a season in a very short playoff race.
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