Mrázová Plays the Hero in Huge 3-2 Shootout Win Over Boston
Ottawa finally gets a win after regulation!!
After so many years without playoff hockey in Ottawa, a lot of us have come to expect disappointment from our teams. For a good chunk of this PWHL season, it looked like Ottawa might end up at the bottom of the league standings, where all Ottawa hockey teams seem to belong. So it feels amazing to get to watch actual meaningful hockey down the stretch, from a team that has turned their season around just in the nick of time.
Playoffs still aren't guaranteed, but this win over the team they're chasing for that last spot was absolutely huge.
Boston came out swinging in a must-win game for them, with Hilary Knight scoring the first goal and sucking the life out of the arena nice and early. Ottawa looked just a step behind them for the first few minutes of the game.
Thankfully, Ottawa’s first powerplay of the game helped them get back into it. Brianne Jenner scored again - her fourth in the last two games. I was joking on the last podcast episode when I picked her to win the PWHL scoring title, but y’all, she’s only two points back.
🚨 Brianne Jenner (9)
— PWHL Ottawa (@PWHL_Ottawa) April 24, 2024
🍎 Natalie Snodgrass
🍏 Daryl Watts pic.twitter.com/2zyEeWf6kU
The rest of the third period was mostly even. Boston got one particularly good scoring chance on a wide open net, and I don’t know if I should be thanking Maschmeyer or the hockey gods for the fact that it didn’t go in.
Unfortunately, Boston took back the lead right at the end of the period, and who else could it have been but local girl Jamie Lee Rattray. Come home, Jamie. Please.
Rattray almost got her second of the game early on in the second period, but missed on the chance. Although no goals were scored in the period, it was not for a lack of trying. Both goalies put on a show, with Maschmeyer looking especially impressive.
Ottawa made some nice attempts at tying the game early in the third, but Boston shut them down pretty well and seemed to be playing better.
Eventually, Gabbie Hughes broke through to tie the game, off a great feed from Emily Clark. This girl is so clutch.
🚨 Gabbie Hughes (8)
— PWHL Ottawa (@PWHL_Ottawa) April 25, 2024
🍎 Emily Clark
🍏 Savannah Harmon pic.twitter.com/xIrzXMu7ld
Boston pushed hard for the regulation win, but it was actually Ottawa who got the best chances in the last minute of the game - both Mrázová and Jenner coming oh so close to securing a last minute regulation win.
Ottawa absolutely dominated overtime. I have no idea how Frankel managed to stop Emily Clark and Daryl Watts on their respective chances. Not to be outdone, Emerance Maschmeyer pulled off an unbelievable save of her own. It was absolute madness. Neither team scored, though, so we would need a shootout to solve it.
Mrázová scored on the first attempt, but so did Hilary Knight. The next 3 shots for each team were stopped, and Ottawa sent Mrázová back out for the last one. She scored, and Maschmeyer stopped Knight this time around, to secure Ottawa’s first ever shootout win. It was a long time coming.
Game notes:
- Aneta Tejralová should take some blame for the turnover that lead to the Rattray goal. She’s usually so solid defensively, so it’s rare to see her make a mistake like that. Or maybe Rattray is just that sneaky.
- Kateřina Mrázová made her return to the lineup after being injured, and looked like her old self! She did get hurt again in the second period, but returned to the game, so hopefully everything’s fine.
- Emerance Maschmeyer had a fantastic game. She kept them in it, especially in the second and third periods.
- It was nice to see the team give Lexie Adzija a tribute video!
- Ottawa finishes this game three points ahead of Boston with a game in hand. If I’m not mistaken, they also have the tiebreaker, which is regulation wins. They’re not completely out of the woods yet, but this is pretty damn good.
