Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) makes a save on Minnesota Frost's Michela Cava (86) during second-period PWHL playoff hockey action in the Walter Cup Final, in Ottawa, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — The Minnesota Frost have been here before, and with that comes a sense of familiarity.

After dropping Tuesday’s Game 1 of the PWHL’s Walter Cup championship series 2-1 in overtime to the Ottawa Charge, the Frost remain confident heading into Game 2, leaning on their proven resilience and ability to bounce back.

The Frost are now 0-4 all-time in Game 1 playoff action, but won each of the previous three series — experience they’re leaning on as they look to repeat as league champions.

Game 2 of the best-of-five goes Thursday at TD Place, where Ottawa is 3-0 in the playoffs.

“It’s playoffs, it’s very difficult to win, it’s very hard,” said Frost head coach Ken Klee. “We always started all these series on the road. It’s very hard to win on the road, but I think our group knows that. We’re a resilient group. We’re going to stay with it.”

He said the goal now is to get a split and head back to Minnesota with home ice advantage.

Last season, the Frost rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their semifinal against Toronto, winning three straight to reach the final.

The Charge, meanwhile, are making their first appearance in the PWHL playoffs, with only four players having prior experience — but head coach Carla MacLeod says her group doesn’t need a crash course in what the moment means.

“We’re looking at individual games, and Game 1 is on the shelf,” said MacLeod. “It’s neither here nor there, it’s done. Their game is so strong. We know that they’ve got another gear to what they’re going to do as well.”

Ottawa came away with the win, but Game 1 itself was evenly played.

Minnesota held the edge in shots, 26-19, and both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.

The Frost tied it early in the third after a rare miscue by goalie Gwyneth Philips and pressed for the go-ahead goal, but Ottawa held firm, leaning on its structure and composure.

“I think it was a good starting point for both teams,” said MacLeod. “I suspect both of us will be working very hard to elevate our games. But our team did a nice job just staying with it and really just gutting it out at the end of the day.”

Special teams could loom larger as the series wears on — Ottawa is just 1-for-11 on the power play in the playoffs, while Minnesota has converted five of nine chances.

The Frost generated a few good chances Tuesday night on their two power plays, but Philips is proving tough to beat. The 24-year-old is a finalist for both PWHL goaltender of the year and rookie of the year, and has been instrumental to Ottawa’s playoff success.

There’s no secret to beating an elite goalie like Philips, Klee said — it comes down to execution.

“Getting traffic to the net … we take away her eyes, get second chances," said Klee. "You know, all those things that we talked about with all the goalies in our league.”

The Charge had the league’s worst power play during the regular season, converting just 14.9 per cent of the time. While MacLeod isn’t overly concerned, she admits it’s still an area they’re working to improve.

“From Day 1 of the season to the last day of the season, you’re always going to invest in your special teams, and that’s not lost on us,” she said. “But we’re certainly not getting frustrated or losing sight of the fact that lots of positives are being generated.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025