PWHL Game 21 Hub: Ottawa vs Boston

After a huge 4-0 win over Minnesota, PWHL Ottawa continues to hold down the final playoff spot in the league's inaugural season. They've got a 2-point lead over tonight's opponent, Boston, while also holding a game in hand. A win here would give them a nearly unbreakable hold on a playoff berth, but it wouldn't be a done deal just yet.

Here’s how Ottawa will be lining them up tonight:

Game Notes:

• An Ottawa regulation win would see them 5 points ahead of Boston, with a game in hand. The only way Boston could catch up is if they win their following two games in regulation, and Ottawa loses all three of theirs in regulation. Those odds shouldn't scare the vast majority of you, but as someone who's had a Pokemon stay frozen solid for 14 consecutive turns, they terrify me. Did that joke land with everyone?
• As a general note, it's nice to see this league trying to incentivize teams to win in regulation. The 3-2-1-0 points system is certainly an improvement over what the NHL has, but there's still the overarching issue that I feel kind of dumb for not realizing sooner. Is hockey the only major sport in which it's accepted that we award points for losing?
• With a hat-trick against Minnesota, top free-agent signing Brianne Jenner has taken the lead in team scoring, with 18 points in 20 games, good for fourth in the league. Boston's leading scorer is Alina Müller, who has 14 points in 20 games.
• On the subject of goals against, Emerance Maschmeyer stopped all 35 shots she faced on Saturday for her second shutout of the season. Her .918 save percentage is only 9th out of 12 goalies league-wide, but the margins between her and most of the other goalies are razor-thin.
• Tonight's 7:00 pm EST game will be broadcast live on TSN5 and TSN3. You can also stream the game on TSN+ or PWHL's YouTube channel.

Stats: