Ottawa Charge clinch final PWHL playoff spot after 3-0 win against Toronto Sceptres

The Ottawa Charge beat the Toronto Sceptres 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at TD Place, securing their spot in the playoffs.

The Ontario rivals met in the final regular season game for the third consecutive time, competing yet again to clinch the fourth and final 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoff spot.

Last year, Ottawa won its spot over Toronto 2-1 with an overtime goal from Kateřina Mrázová. In 2024, Toronto took the spot from Ottawa after defeating them 5-2.

This time, Ottawa only needed one point to confirm their spot, while Toronto needed a win in regulation.

The sold-out arena buzzed with a crowd of 8,306 fans, dressed in blue or red.

“Kudos to Toronto,” said Charge captain Brianne Jenner after the game. “It was a really back-and-forth game, but to get that done in front of our fans is really, really special.”

Heading into the game, Ottawa already had a three-game win streak, most recently emerging victorious with a score of 2-1 in overtime against the Boston Fleet. Saturday’s game was Toronto’s third consecutive loss.

It was a fierce first period, however both teams failed to score. Shots were almost even by the end of the first, sitting at 11-10 for Toronto.

The game really started to heat up in the second, with Ottawa’s Fanuza Kadirova earning the first goal of the game at 15:52, assisted by Michela Cava.

Ottawa saw two penalties in the second period, while Toronto managed to stay out of trouble.

At 14:39, Alexa Vasko was sent to the box for bodychecking. On the power-play, Toronto was unable to score, but managed to tie up the shots 13 each.

Taylor House found her way to the box later in the period at 8:10 for boarding. Toronto managed to make a few more shots, but was again unable to take advantage of the power-play.

By the end of the second period, Ottawa held a 1-0 lead, while Toronto outshot them 30-25.

Pressure was high on the Sceptres going into the third, knowing that they would need at least two goals to beat the Charge. Ottawa wasn’t off the hook yet; they still had to maintain their lead to officially clinch their spot.

The Charge’s Sarah Wozniewicz scored at 18:37, early into the third period, assisted by Jenner.

“We want playoffs,” chanted the crowd as Ottawa led 2-0.

Ottawa’s Emma Greco was sent to the box for hooking at 13:51, but Toronto missed scoring on their third and final power-play of the evening.

After the Sceptres pulled goalie Raygan Kirk, Vasko was able to slide the puck into the empty net, bringing the final score of the game to 3-0.

Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips saved 41 shots, achieving her third shutout of the season. On April 11, she secured a 42-save shutout against the Sceptres.

“Just seeing my teammates working so hard just kind of pushes me to keep working hard too,” Philips said following the game.

“It gives us so much confidence,” said Jenner about Philips. “We know, regardless of what the score is, we have a chance in every single game.”

The Boston Fleet will open the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs on April 30 at home in Tsongas Centre at 7 p.m.

Ottawa will be facing either the Montréal Victoire or Boston Fleet in the semifinals. Under the PWHL playoff rules, the first-place finisher will have 24 hours from the end of the regular season to choose its opponent, either the Minnesota Frost or Ottawa Charge.