All 3 Canadian teams go into PWHL break in playoff positions

It was a little more than a week ago that the Ottawa Charge collapsed in the third period, surrendering six unanswered goals to the New York Sirens.

Speaking to CBC Sports a few days ago, Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld had a clear message: No matter what people thought after the New York loss, his team still had a chance to make the playoffs. They were very much in the race.

What a difference a week can make. Ottawa has earned six valuable standings points after back-to-back regulation wins over the Boston Fleet. Rookie goaltender Gwyneth Philips, who gave up five against New York, allowed only one goal over two games against Boston.

The Charge went into the third period on Wednesday with a three-goal lead, but it was a different story than the collapse against New York. The Charge matched the Fleet's physicality to hold the team off the scoreboard.

The regulations wins have propelled Ottawa into the fourth and final PWHL playoff spot heading into the international break. The league is paused until April 26 while players compete in the women's world championship, which begins next week in the Czech Republic.

Wednesday's win was, as head coach Carla MacLeod told players in the dressing room after the game, "a hell of an effort." 

She told players to bottle up that energy and momentum to keep it with them when the Charge come back from the break.

"We've got to start with [that momentum]," MacLeod said after the game. "That's going to be the challenge for us. It's not lost on us, but that's the mission."

All three Canadian teams sit in playoff spots heading into the break, with the Montreal Victoire the only team in the league that has clinched its spot.

No team has been mathematically eliminated yet, though it's looking less likely that the Sirens will be able to climb out of last place and into the playoffs. New York is six points out of the final playoff spot.

Only two points separate the fifth-place Minnesota Frost and third-place Boston Fleet, which will make for an interesting stretch run after the break. Each team will have only three games left to play before the Walter Cup playoffs begin.

"We have to be better," Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel said after Wednesday's loss. "Took our foot off the pedal here, thinking we're in playoffs and we're not. So now it's a race."

Last season, the world-championship break was a massive reset for Montreal, which entered having lost four in a row. Several Canadian players came back with gold medals and a boost of confidence.

On the flip side, Minnesota, and several American players who lost in the final at the world championship, struggled after the break. Minnesota barely made the playoffs after losing five in a row.