Ottawa Charge Recap: Week 7

The Charge are somehow still clinging on to a playoff spot, but wow do they look bad. It's far enough into the season now to say that they desperately need more offense.

Last Week: Ottawa 1, Minnesota 0

• It’s always annoying when the Sens and Charge are playing at the same time, but sometimes the teams make the decision easy. That’s what happened last Tuesday, with the Sens choosing not to show up and the Charge… well, they didn’t wow us, but they did win. Feminism!
• The only real highlight of the game was Brianne Jenner’s very early goal.

🚨 Brianne Jenner (1)
🍎 Gabbie Hughes
🍏 Emily Clark pic.twitter.com/xaWEdt53W0

— Ottawa Charge (@PWHL_Ottawa) January 22, 2025

• Other than that, it was a pretty boring game. Neither team looked particularly good.
• The Charge did mix things up this time around by subjecting Gwyneth Phillips to their play instead of Emerance Mashmeyer. The rookie goaltender was fantastic in her first career shutout. We don’t have much in Ottawa, but we sure do have goaltending.

Last Week: Ottawa 0, New York 3

• Ottawa didn’t get off to a very good start. They were a bit sloppy, turning over the puck all the time, and gave up a really fluky goal early on.
• The rest of the first period looked like a Sirens powerplay. It was rough. On the one powerplay New York actually got, they scored a real goal. Lovely.
• The Charge played so badly. They’re so bad, you guys. So, so bad.
• We almost got a fight in the second period! That would have made the game more fun. 
• They showed signs of life toward the end of the second, and looked quite good at the start of the third. It was still a winnable game, but not one they deserved to win.
• It was a pretty physical game all around, but there was a long delay in the third for a massive hit by Vanisova. It ended in a five minute major, and we’ll see if there’s any supplemental discipline.
• That five minute penalty turned into a 5 on 3, and the Sirens got another kind of flukey goal.
• Despite the weird goals, overall it was yet another phenomenal game for Emerance Maschmeyer.

The Week Ahead

• We’ve got two rivalry games coming up!
• On Wednesday, they head to Laval to take on la Victoire de Montréal. I guess you can pencil that in as a one-goal win for Montreal, because somehow every game between these teams ends that way. Did you know that the metro station by the arena in Laval is covered in ads for mental health services, so that when you leave the arena after watching your team lose, the walls ask you if you’re thinking of ending it all? I think they did that specifically for Ottawa Charge fans who live in Montreal.
• Anyways, it’s a 7pm game, broadcast on TSN. And no Sens game to interfere with it!
• Then, the Charge head to Toronto on Saturday for a 2pm game. The Sens play at 7, so it’ll be a full day of hockey.
• Ottawa is 2-1 against the Sceptres this season, so hopefully they can get back in the win column after the last meeting between the teams didn’t end too well.
• It’ll be a CBC broadcast this time around!
• Toronto is currently last in the league, but they started out slow last year and ended up winning the regular season, so don’t count them out. They’re a good team.