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It was apparent early on, that clinching a PWHL playoff spot — even against a team that had technically nothing to play for — was not going to be easy in any way for Ottawa.
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Home and cooled out, first-place Toronto was not going to cut its Ontario rivals any slack and made notice of that less than a minute into the game when they buzzed the Ottawa net and Emerance Maschmeyer with Natalie Spooner eventually potting her league-leading 18th goal of the year.
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That established the bar for the game and Ottawa responded time and again until getting the game to the third period all even at 2-2.
The third was a tightly contested affair with both teams enjoying opportunities until an unfortunate tripping penalty by Natalie Snodgrass as she attempted to slow down Spooner on her way into the Ottawa offensive zone.
With Snodgrass in the box, the Toronto power play went to work. To no one’s surprise, it was the league’s leading scorer and point-getter, Spooner, again jamming home what turned out to be the game-winner in an eventual 5-2 Toronto victory.
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Spooner wound up with a league best 20 goals on the season earning awards for both the goal scoring and points leader of the first ever PHWL season.
Ottawa, needing a regulation win to advance to the playoffs and down a goal, opted for the extra attacker and the empty net still with five minutes to go.
Victoria Bach scored into the empty net with just more than three minutes to go to basically seal the game.
Ottawa native Sam Cogan added a second empty-net goal putting any thoughts of a late push by Ottawa out of the question.
Ottawa’s loss is Minnesota’s gain in this scenario as it winds up taking fourth place and the final playoff spot with Boston finishing third.
According to unique league rules, Toronto now has 24 hours following Sunday night’s result to choose its first-round opponent from the third- and fourth-place finishers.
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Minnesota backs into the playoffs despite failing to register a single point in its final five games which would have booked its spot in the playoffs sooner.
The win by Toronto was just the second in five tries against an Ottawa club that was the lone team in the league to win the head-to-head battle with the inaugural regular season champs.
The 5-2 final did not do the competitiveness of this game justice.
Ottawa tied the game 2-2 on a rather fortunate goal. Captain Brianne Jenner entered the offensive zone and dropped a pass for a crossing Daryl Watts. Toronto had both Jocelyne Larocque and Cogan back defending but with Watts crossing, she brought Cogan right into Larocque. The collision left Watts in alone on Kristen Campbell and the Ottawa forward didn’t miss deking around he Toronto goalie for the tying goal.
Ottawa tested Campbell more than any team at any point in the season firing 42 shots at the Toronto netminder.
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