Gwyneth Philips posts shutout, Charge pushes Victoire to brink of elimination
It was another thrilling battle between two border rivals, though this one ended a lot shorter than the last.
Just two days after the Mother’s Day Marathon, the Ottawa Charge used a standout performance from their rookie goaltender, and a strong effort in front of her, to beat the Montreal Victoire 1-0, giving the Charge a 2-1 series lead in the PWHL Semifinals.
After losing the four-overtime classic on Sunday, Ottawa hoped they could please the home fans in the team’s first postseason game in the nation’s capital. It looked like the two teams were heading to overtime, as neither the Charge nor the Victoire found the back of the net for close to 50 minutes on Tuesday night.
That changed near the halfway mark of the third period.
The top line for Ottawa was able to get Montreal on its heels, thanks to persistent pressure in the offensive zone. Gabbie Hughes fired a shot from a bad angle that Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped, but the rebound landed right on the stick of rookie Mannon McMahon, who banged in her first playoff goal.
🚨 Mannon McMahon (1)
🍎 Gabbie Hughes
🍏 Ronja Savolainen pic.twitter.com/fKtA1puZ0P
It was McMahon’s first goal since Feb. 13. It also marked the Charge’s first goal in almost 125 minutes of game action.
From there, Ottawa’s defense stepped up. As Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie kept throwing the line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner out on the ice, the Charge limited their attack, allowing just six shots on goal after McMahon’s tally.
When the Victoire did breakthrough, Gwyneth Philips was there. The rookie netminder made some nice saves in the final 20 minutes, including a beautiful kick save on Poulin. She did enough to pick up her first postseason shutout, stopping all 26 shots she faced. If there was anyone left doubting if the former Northeastern star could rise to the occasion, they have been silenced.
Desbiens made 24 saves in the losing effort.
While no goals were registered in the first two periods, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Ottawa came out flying, putting 12 shots on goal in the first period, and had a flurry of chances late in the middle stanza. Montreal had some great opportunities of their own, but they were either stoned by Philips or weren’t able to finish.
It was another physical game between the Canadian rivals, especially on the Ottawa side. The Charge totaled 16 hits in Game 3, led by Zoe Boyd, who had six. A controversial moment came shortly after McMahon broke the ice. Stacey caught Ashton Bell with a hard hit in the Ottawa zone. The check seemed to knock the wind out of Bell, though she was able to skate under her own power.
Stacey was originally given a five-minute penalty for an illegal body check, but after a video review, the penalty was reduced to a minor.
Now, the Victoire must recover and avoid being ousted in the opening round of the postseason for the second year in a row.
The Charge will look to finish the job on home ice in Game 4 on Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for a little after 7 p.m. ET.