u/xblacklodge

It's so hard to believe we've come point, but here we are. This team fought hard and battled back, not just in their last game, but in every game this season. They played 34 games of competitive hockey, and won 23 of them, holding the record for the fewest regulation losses in the regular season. Including the playoffs, each of their losses was decided by one goal, minus just three games where teams were able to increase the deficit with the empty net (12/19, 3/17, 5/2). Every game they played was winnable. If they were behind, they clawed their way to get within one goal, to tie, or go ahead (ask Montreal how being up 3-0 worked out for them on 3/15). They were also the fastest team to clinch a playoff berth in league history, tied for the most points ever in PWHL history and only ended up with second place after the second tiebreaker of overtime wins. That the journey ends here seems unfathomable.

Despite the projected lineup for this game, Coach Sparre had the lines "in a blender," as Cheryl Pounder said, and the starting lineup gave us the second new look version of the Pink Scrunchie Club, with Susanna Tapani subbed in for Abby Newhook. Finnish Scrunchie Club? I dunno. The Fleet are aggressive at the outset and get some good looks early, This period felt a bit more stressful, maybe in part because of the stakes involved, but the Fleet held steady and kept to their gameplan. Aggressive forecheck, shot first mentality.

Daniela Pejšová was called for a very weak boarding call, with Rebecca Leslie basically just falling down into the boards next to her. It's hard to believe, but this was the only penalty called against the Fleet, vs. five for the Charge (that number should be higher, but I digress). It didn't take long for them to take advantage, as Fanuza Kadirova hit a shot from the point after a bit of tic tac toe, with the puck deflecting off of Sarah Wozniewicz to get past Frankel just six minutes in. The Fleet would get a power play opportunity later in the first, but were unable to execute.

The second period would open with Newhook and Ella Huber (roommate line?) connecting on a play right off the bat, but Gwyneth Philips came out to challenge and deny Huber in front. Frankel would return the favor to deny Gabby Hughes on a 2-on-1, and a subsequent shot from Kadirova. The Fleet fought to get the puck back in and Hadley Hartmetz got off a shot in front. Brianne Jenner would crash Frankel's net, pulling her out of position; Jenner was able to send the puck back across behind Frankel's outstretched pad, across the goal, where it was kicked in by Leslie. On commentary, they said that she was just skidding into it, but her foot clearly moves to the puck as she's coming to a stop. Nevertheless, it's called a good goal.

At this point, the Fleet have had enough, and off an offensive zone faceoff, Haley Winn skates around the dot to the net and puts one into Philips' pads. Shay Maloney is right there to whack it in for the Fleet's first goal (Huber secondary). Cut to Coach Sparre on the bench, and he's got a huge smile and a couple of expletives. God, I love that guy. But wait, we're not done! Eldridge gets knocked down and the refs call interference on Gabbie Hughes. Just twelve seconds of puck movement, Winn to Alina Müller, on to Megan Keller for her patented one-timer, and it finds the net with Newhook creating a screen in front. But hang on--Winn with a stretch pass to Jill Saulnier, who fires from along the boards. It hits Philips' pads and bounces off, but Sophie Shirley, using her blazing speed, is crashing the net and there for the rebound to put the Fleet ahead 3-2 in a span of just 93 seconds.

The fun would be short lived, however, as Ottawa would tie the game just a few minutes later. Kadirova rushed in on Frankel, took a shot, and Frankel made the save, but it ends up to her left. Brooke Hobson continued her path to the net to go after the puck, took a swipe and missed. Rylind MacKinnon had her stick on it and was holding it along the post, but Hobson's foot, reaching around the post, pushed the puck across the line. They didn't even bother to give this one a proper review, and this was even more of an egregious kick in than the last one. I don't know about you, but I sure would love the coaches' challenge to come back.

After the play, MacKinnon is randomly shoved into frame of the goal celebration by Jocelyn Laroque, where Katerina Mrazova takes her by the head and pushes her to the ice. Four Ottawa players then stand over her and won't let her get up. Absolutely no idea what started this, as there was nothing in a replay and no context given. No penalties, either. Speaking of which, Müller takes a bad open ice hit and has difficulty getting up for a good while. I feel like someone forgot to tell this ref crew that open ice hits aren't allowed in the PWHL, because there were several in this game, and none were punished. The refs let this one get out of control, and it's a wonder no one was seriously hurt. I specifically say "seriously" because players remained in the game who were clearly in pain or discomfort. Tapani would get blatantly tripped by Mrázová later in the period, her leg fully hooked out and upwards, and came down on her knee. She labored off the bench but did return.

The period ended with a high stick by Jenner and they actually did call that one, so the Fleet went to the power play. They had a couple of opportunities, with Keller teeing up but being blocked, ultimately getting two shots but nothing stuck. Ottawa committed a tripping penalty almost immediately afterwards, so the Fleet had another chance with the advantage, but were once again unsuccessful. Saulnier brought the puck all the way to the net, but was taken down by a double team. Defensively, they had good stick play to break up plays on the back check and kept their game aggressive. Bizarre strategy by Ottawa to check players into Philips and then get angry about the contact with Philips. She loses her blocker for a whistle here and earlier when under duress "lost" her glove. New goalie strategy: if you don't like the pressure, drop some equipment.

The game would go to overtime after no additional scoring in the third, and there was immediate gut-wrenching regret as Müller positioned herself behind Philips and had an opportunity to shoot into an empty net, but put the shot wide and across the crease. I know she's going to be thinking about that for a long time. Saulnier would generate another chance when she leapt on the puck behind the net when Philips came out to clear and sent it quickly to Mobley in front, but Philips was able to return to deflect the shot before it could get through.

Saulnier would have another chance of her own when she came in all alone, but was tripped up from behind by Jenner. It's called holding, and the Fleet go on the power play for the final time, and are unsuccessful. Realistically, this should have been a penalty shot. I could go on about the refs setting the tone by not calling dirty play in this game and every game of the series, but I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse since it's been a topic of discussion in every game.

The Fleet outshot the Charge in every period so far this game. Then, it went to second overtime. Right out the gate, Ottawa was aggressive, controlled the game, and got pucks on net, with three shots in the first minute. The third was, really, a perfect setup with Mrázová poised for a shot, which Frankel had to respect, only for her to pass to Michela Cava beside the net, who ended the Fleet's season.

They played well enough to win this game. They played well enough to win all of them. That they're not playing at Tsongas on Tuesday or already gearing up for the finals just feels like we got the playoffs from an alternate universe. Nevertheless, here we are. It hurts. It sucks. I have never believed in anything more than I believed in this team. I never quit on them, and they certainly never quit on us. Thank you, Boston Fleet, for one hell of a ride.

Three Stars: 1. Michela Cava, 2. Fanuza Kadirova, 3. Haley Winn

Shoutouts: The whole team, really, but individually...

Aerin Frankel: It's unbelievable the bad luck she had. I've seen people say her performance was "disappointing," or that she was "off her game," despite only allowing two more goals than Philips throughout the series. I guess that's what happens when you set the regular season record for shutouts and only allow two goals through five Olympic starts; positioning your team to win by allowing nine goals in across four games is "disappointing." Credit to Philips for making the saves she did, and there were a ton of them, but it's still baffling to me how many pucks stopped short of the line, hit posts and crossbars, the side of the net, or just barely missed wide, while Ottawa always seemed to have physics on their side with every bounce or deflection, off a stick, a skate, a helmet, the boards... or, y'know, just kicked in, in two cases, but I digress. Frankel saved 29/33 in a double overtime game. The Fleet wouldn't have made it this far or had the season they did without her. Give her her flowers.

Alina Müller: One assist, led the team with six shots, two hits, 30:40 TOI, and just nearly missed having the game winner. She finishes tied for second in playoff points, with a goal and three assists, and has been indispensable to this team. She also finished the regular season second in assists with 17. The non-PWHL internet is sharing clips of her missing the net in OT, and it breaks my heart. I'm sure she's losing sleep over that, and although it really, really sucks that it didn't go in, no one should be angry at her. She worked her ass off to get the team where they got, and to try to win every game. She's the Fleet's all-time leading scorer. Don't let one shot color your opinion of one of the best players in the league.

Megan Keller: Led the team with 43:34 TOI, the game tying goal, and provided indispensable leadership. She captained the Fleet to their best season ever, and you could visibly see how she tried to lift the team up when they were down. She still has the best celly in the league, throwing her arms out and calling everyone in for a hug. Coach Sparre says there is a "0% chance" of her leaving in expansion, so we can count on her being here next year, despite whatever rumors people might like to throw around.

Haley Winn: Two assists, two shots, two hits, 40:06 TOI. What an amazing season from the soon-to-be Rookie of the Year. One of the most dependable players in the league, as well as the most well-rounded, and clearly so dedicated to her craft. If there's one thing you should have learned about hockey from watching Haley Winn this year, it's that defense is just as exciting to watch as offense. Oh, and she can provide that, too.

Jessie Eldridge: One assist, five shots, 30:58 TOI. Also had a hit, and a few nice defensive plays. She fought hard to find the net, just as hard in the other end, and took some big hits for her efforts, as well. She was such a great pickup, and pink scrunchies became all the rage in Boston since she arrived. I really hope there is a way we can re-sign her.

Sophie Shirley: Just 6:32 of ice time, and she made it count, putting the Fleet ahead 3-2 in the second. Heading into the season, she hadn't scored a goal since March of 2024, but when I met her in November I told her this would be her year, and asked her to score one for me. She scored four. She had a great series, and is so underrated for what she brings to the team.

Hannah Brandt: Hard to believe that this was her last game with the Fleet. For those who don't know, she is retiring from hockey after this season to be a physician's assistant. In this game, she had 15:09 TOI and was an awesome 12/17 from the faceoff dot. She will absolutely be missed.

What's Next: Well, we tune in tonight for game five of the other series, see who wins the finals, then the expansion draft begins to unfold beginning May 28th when signings and protections begin to happen and we start to learn the direction of the 2026-27 Boston Fleet. The team will be different. Going into this season, it seemed like we took a huge hit and all of the pundits said we would finish last. We may very well lose some favorites, but before we know it, we'll have new ones. Remember how exciting this season was with this group of players cobbled together with zero expectations.

The offseason will likely be difficult, as it was last year. Think about how much more of a popular free agent destination Boston is going to be with the team, the locker room, and the coaching staff people just witnessed this year. Have faith in Danielle Marmer's ability to build a team, and Kris Sparre's ability to take them where they need to go. Come November, we'll all be on board chanting, "Let's go Boston," and I can't wait.

Looks like we're going with an identical lineup to game three, forwards and Ds, and of course Frankel in net. All hands on deck!

The Fleet's semifinal series against the Charge took a frustrating turn last night. Actually, frustrating is an understatement. They now find themselves down 2-1, despite having outshot and arguably outplayed Ottawa in all three games. The Fleet were unable to capitalize on multiple chances and still haven't figured out the power play though, which could have helped put the game away earlier--a constant theme this season, sadly. It looked like we were headed for overtime, and then... yeah. Let's start at the top.

The starting lineup featured a neat spin on the Pink Scrunchie Club, with Jamie Lee Rattray subbed for Abby Newhook. Something something, pink scrunchie on a rat tail--I got nothing. Jessie Eldridge makes a nice play to break up Emily Clark's attempt to bring the puck into the defensive end, and then the Fleet kept the pressure high in the early going maintaining constant offensive zone pressure. Great forecheck and puck possession. Keller tried a nifty wraparound, and there were multiple shots from the blueline. Philips was forced to cover up often, leading to repeated offensive zone faceoffs. The sustained pressure is something they absolutely need to keep up. It's specifically what led to Ottawa's second goal in game two and I was hoping they'd turn the tables here, but no dice.

Pejšová gets called for delay of game when she sends the puck over the glass, but it's quickly nullified by a hooking call of Gabbie Hughes, leading to 4-on-4 and a brief power play. Nothing doing. More sustained O-zone pressure and as the Charge begin to get the puck back and engage in a bit more of a back and forth, the Fleet keep getting the puck back until Rattray gets an absolutely ridiculous tripping call. There were a bunch of things that could have been called in this game, ranging from cross checks, to interference, to illegal checks, and roughing that weren't, but two players sliding into each other and falling down is called a trip. During the penalty kill, Rylind MacKinnon, back in the lineup, makes a great play to get her leg down and disrupt a pass. The Fleet kill the penalty, but just as Rattray gets out of the box and is rushing back to join the play, Fanuza Kadirova is able to shoot through a screen and put one past Aerin Frankel.

The game had begun to turn rough by this point, and the officials were doing absolutely nothing to control it. There was a nice moment where Jill Saulnier, Riley Brengman, and Sophie Shirley would join forces to protect Frankel and police the net after a whistle. Back the other way, Eldridge and Alina Müller broke in and got a few consecutive chances, and Laura Kluge had a great look as well. She had a solid game from start to finish--awesome having her back in the lineup. Meanwhile, we've got interference, we've got illegal checks. Philips covers up after Mobley takes a shot and despite being nowhere near Philips or even the crease, Mobley takes a cross check to the face. No call.

Second period, Newhook fights Jocelyn Laroque along the boards for control of the puck, which was fantastic. Scary moment when Megan Keller gets hooked and taken down, and takes out Haley Winn in the process. They both labor off and look hurt. Refs don't care. The Fleet finally tie the game though, when Shay Maloney and Liz Schepers rush in, Maloney wrists the puck off of Philips' pads, and Schepers is right there to bury the rebound. Textbook.

Big question of the night, what the hell was going on with the ice? Everyone kept falling down. Players, refs, and when Frankel went behind the net to play the puck at one point, she would also fall down. Thankfully, she was okay, and she alone back there so it didn't lead to anything dangerous...

A second delay of game penalty, this time by the Charge, leads to the Fleet's best power play opportunity they've had in some time. Rattray takes the puck behind the net for a wraparound and has the empty net to execute, but curls half a second too early and tucks the puck into the side of the post. There's some additional chaos that leaves the puck sitting in front of the line, but it remains out. They would get another chance on the penalty kill (Saulnier for tripping) when Schepers made a bid for her second, but she's held and taken down before she can get a proper shot off. You guessed it: no call, no penalty shot.

Müller then randomly becomes Ottawa's punching bag, first getting taken down for no reason whatsoever, getting cross checked from behind by Rory Guilday, with whom she had not even been interacting prior to that. Guilday goes off for roughing. Fleet on the power play, Philips has to cover up, Newhook takes one extra poke and she gets knocked down. Refs just step in and separate. Another play in front, Philips covers up, Müller takes one poke at Philips' pad and skates away. Ronja Savolainen then skates after her, puts her in a rear headlock--absolutely uncalled for. Eldridge tries to help out and separate them and Savolainen pie faces her and knocks her down. Savolainen goes off for roughing, and they send Müller for "slashing" for one light poke at a goalie's pads while the puck was still live. Good lord, these refs.

They would have a lot of good entries in the third, and their forecheck remained consistently aggressive, as well. Saulnier and Shirley would combine for a nice setup. Müller would hit the post, and was again denied on a falling shot after a setup from Newhook and Eldridge. Winn drove the net and was denied, leading to some utterly bizarre don't-see-everyday madness, as several players desperately hunted in front of Philips for the puck, which had already rolled out to the side and been collected by Ottawa, who were skating it out. Fortunately, both Fleet defenders were aware and skating back with them. The other players would eventually notice and catch up, but extended chaos unfolded in the Fleet's end until Frankel was finally able to collect and freeze the puck.

Guilday was sent off for interference for a late hit on Kluge, and the Fleet had one last chance on the power play to get something going, but couldn't deliver. The clock ticked down, and everyone braced for overtime, until Savolainen hit a shot from the blue line that went wide and ricocheted off the boards. Frankel came out of her net to recover it, but it took an odd bounce, hit the back of her pad and caromed right into the net, despite Winn diving in to stop it, with just 29 seconds remaining. A last ditch effort to tie saw two near misses, but time would unfortunately run out, and Ottawa now holds a 2-1 lead in the best of five series.

Needless to say, Fleet fans, myself included, are collectively traumatized by how that game ended. I'm still in shock. What does strike me is how calm Coach Sparre and Liz Schepers were at the post game press conference. The fact is, they still have two more games to do this. As horrible as how that game ended feels, and I'm hoping to scrub it from my brain, the people who play these games are professionals. As I said elsewhere, if anyone can get past that, it's Frankel, and if any coach can keep the team focused and motivated after a loss like that, it's Coach Sparre. This team also has the leadership amongst the players, too. There was a great shot of Rattray pounding on the bench and screaming encouragement at the team as they lined up for the faceoff after the goal. This team never quits. I believe in them, and I know they won't want a game like that to be what people think of when they remember them.

This is what's driving me crazy: Philips might be standing on her head and making some incredible saves, but the Fleet have had her beat several times; they just aren't finishing. Wraparounds into the side of the net, posts and crossbars, breakaways and not getting shots off, pucks getting past her and not crossing the line--the amount of puck luck the Charge have had and the Fleet have not is nigh improbable, while Frankel has allowed the same number of goals, and only one of them hasn't been the result of some weird trajectory off a deflection or bounce, or incredibly bad luck on a shot that wasn't even on goal. You've got to think that it's going to even out sooner or later.

Three Stars: 1. Gwyneth Philips, 2. Ronja Savolainen, 3. Liz Schepers

Shoutouts: Aerin Frankel: You poor, poor thing. I just want to give her a giant hug. On paper saved 20/22, but more like 20/21 because the second goal technically wasn't on a SOG and is a case of the worst luck imaginable. I fully expect her to bounce back, with a vengeance.

Liz Schepers: Awesome game from her, great goal, great play all around. Four shots and a hit.

Jessie Eldridge: Team high seven shots and a hit. She was doing everything she could to put the puck in the net. Good things are going to come. I can feel it.

Laura Kluge: Welcome back! Great game from her. She was everywhere, throwing three hits, getting some looks at the net. She took a late hit at one point and turned around to give it right back. It's good to have her back in the lineup.

Megan Keller and Haley Winn: They're so valuable and do so much to help the team on every shift. Hope they're both doing okay after taking that spill. They were both on the ice the rest of the game, which is obviously good news.

What's Next: The Fleet return for game four of the semifinal against the Ottawa Charge, tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. EDT at the Canadian Tire Center, looking to even the series and send it back to Tsongas on the 12th.

In the meantime, treat yourself. Distract yourself. Don't wallow in last night's loss. Every loss is a learning experience. Get out your frustrations if you need to. Play some video games. Eat a pint of ice cream. The new Mortal Kombat movie is awesome if you need to get out of the house. It's Dave Gahan's birthday; listen to some Depeche Mode. Take a ride with your best friend. The sun will shine. The bottom line, we're still in this.

Minor tinkering with the forward lines, but the Pink Scrunchie Club remains intact. D pairings are also consistent, and Frankel is in net.

Boston Globe reporter Emma Healy asked Coach Sparre about the chatter surrounding the possibility of Megan Keller leaving the Fleet to go captain PWHL Detroit, and his response was, "There's a 0% chance of that happening."

So, for all those who had been concerned we'd lose a captain two seasons in a row, you can rest easy.

As for other potential protections and roster losses, we'll cross that bridge when it's burning. For now, the Fleet as currently constructed are working to bring the Cup to Boston.

(Apologies this is a bit late; they took the broadcast off of YouTube before I had a chance to watch it and it took forever for it to get uploaded elsewhere.)

Saturday was game two of the Walter Cup semifinal, and it elicited a combination of emotions. The Fleet played good enough to win, and much like their game against the Ottawa Charge on April 22nd, they had Gwyneth Philips beat multiple times, but for whatever reason, the puck just didn't go in the net.

Ottawa would get two early shots on Aerin Frankel, but the Fleet would go on the power play just 1:28 into the game after Ella Huber is tripped by Kathryn Reilly. They get an early scoring chance, but can't capitalize. Ottawa recovers, clears, and the Fleet can't get it back in the zone. The Charge played tight defense all night. It was tough to move around or get much of anything going in terms of setting up plays or trying to do anything formulaic. A nice sequence occurs though when Megan Keller and Riley Brengman play catch into the neutral zone and Jessie Eldridge takes advantage of a lapse in the defense; Keller passes ahead to her to create a breakaway, but she's denied. The puck stayed alive and the Fleet had a few more chances, but nothing got through. Then Jamie Lee Rattray seized a turnover and fired a shot, but she also was denied.

Susanna Tapani is tripped by Jocelyn Laroque and again the Fleet get the call--are we witnessing a miracle? The strange part is that it's basically a textbook trip but they call it a cross check--no idea. They could have had a 5-on-3 as Rory Guilday knocks Eldridge down for what realistically should have been interference, but no dice with that one. Huber connects with Rattray at the side of the net for a one timer, but Philips is able to slide across. Olivia Mobley gets called for a trip after she knocks down Guilday in what could not have been less of a trip--basically it was a reverse check, but she had an outstretched arm with her stick in it and I guess somehow the ref interpreted that as... Look, I don't know.

Ottawa's power play movement is aggressive. Frankel has to make a save on a scary setup, and a turnover seized by Fanuza Kadirova results in a diving shot that Frankel also saves. After the penalty is killed, Alina Müller races back to beat out an icing call, but they call it anyway, leading to an argument. Rather than Müller battling an Ottawa defender in the corner for the puck, we get a faceoff at center ice, and soon after Ottawa enters the Fleet's zone, they pass back to Ronja Savolainen at the blue line, who gets a shot off with a bizarre, saucer-like trajectory, that goes over Frankel, hits the back of her mask and goes into the net. One of the oddest goals I can remember seeing, and certainly one you can't fault Frankel for.

The Fleet's defense just straight up lapses here, with Brianne Jenner getting a few chances after this, and with a loose puck in the corner in the defensive end, there is apparently a miscommunication between Müller, Brengman, and Eldridge about who is going to collect it, and Müller in to grab it before Ottawa can capitalize. Huber shows great resilience, immediately popping up after she's tripped by Gabbie Hughes (no call) and getting a shot off without missing a beat. She absolutely killed it, with three shots in the first period alone. Double moment of frustration when Ottawa had a rush where they were clearly offside but called onside, which the Fleet reproduced in a mirror image moments later, only for the play to get blown dead for being offside. Eldridge would hit the post in between. All kinds of clock shenanigans happened in the closing seconds, and the Fleet actually got the puck in, but after the buzzer.

The second began with peak frustration, as the Fleet were completely unable to clear the puck out of their zone. Every time they gained possession, either they turned it over, or if they cleared it, it was collected by Ottawa in the neutral zone. This allowed the Charge to keep the pressure at a fever pitch, while they were able to change players three times, and the Fleet couldn't escape. With their defenders exhausted, they were unable to maintain their usual standard of oppressive defense and puck pursuit. After a full two minutes of this, Kadirova was able to get a shot on Frankel while Katerina Mrázová provided a screen. It bounced off her shoulder, rolled upwards, and she was nearly able to reach back and glove it, but it fell behind her for Ottawa's second goal. Absolute nightmare scenario for any team.

Ella Huber made another great play, with a diving swat at the puck in the neutral zone to prevent another Ottawa entry. Tapani would create another turnover, this time in the offensive zone, and passed back to a wide open Jill Saulnier. Apparently she didn't like her angle or didn't have complete control of the puck, because she attempted to close the distance and stickhandle up to the net, and never got a shot off before she was intercepted by Laroque. She would get another chance soon after when Mia Biotti was sent to the box for a high stick (she's six feet tall, your honor--it's always high), and she and Keller raced ahead for a jailbreak opportunity. Alas, Saulnier was offside.

Cool moment when Haley Winn, who has been putting on a skating clinic, as usual, gets a bump from Payton Hemp after a whistle, steps up, and gives it right back, kicking off a mini-scrum that has to be broken up. I love how she's continued to up her physical game as the season has gone on. Speaking of, Keller would unfortunately get sent to the box for an illegal check when she hits (read: absolutely clobbers) Kadirova at center ice after the puck has left her stick. The Fleet's penalty kill is, of course, up to the task.

Rattray would then chip in with some high pressure chances on Philips, and a great play by Brengman to grab the puck out of the air at the blue line to keep it in the zone would be followed by her hitting the crossbar. Tons of net front chaos ensues in front of Philips, with seemingly everyone getting a chance, before Kadirova--again--escapes on a breakaway. Frankel, up to the task, keeps the puck out. The Fleet would finally get on the board though, when Müller passed ahead to Abby Newhook. Her shot was blocked but went straight to Keller, who toe drags through two defenders and banks it blocker side with ten seconds to go in the period. Total cheap shot as Savolainen cross checks Eldridge from behind after the goal is scored, apparently out of frustration, and skates off. Literally right next to the ref. Keller appeared to be having an animated chat after the buzzer, and I'm guessing it was about that.

Ottawa apparently said, why stop there, as the first order of business at the start of the third was to trip Eldridge right off the faceoff. Not to be deterred, she'd get an opportunity on a tic tac toe play with Tapani and Eldridge that looked awesome, but couldn't find its way through. She'd make another brilliant play shortly thereafter: as she was in the midst of a board battle in the corner, she glanced behind her, saw Müller approaching the net alone, and backhands the puck over to her to surprise Philips with a quick shot, only to hit the post.

Ella Huber, in the midst of assembling her own highlight reel, came in on a 1-on-1. She gets slashed on the hands and can't get a shot off. This reasonably could have resulted a penalty shot, but didn't even result in a power play. Also a nice play by Liz Schepers, creating a turnover, wrapping around the net and dishing to Maloney in front. The defense has visibly improved in the third. Tapani creates another turnover in the neutral zone for another breakaway. Philips comes way out, and it seems like Tapani can't find the angle she wants. She finally just about has her beat, but by that point has run out of room. She's visibly pissed when we see her on the bench.

Huber gets tripped again without a call. Mrázová shoots from the point and gets gloved by Frankel, then Hemp gets an immediate shot off the ensuing faceoff that Frankel also snatches. The Fleet are then victims of a questionable offside call, but soon after Müller has another two opportunities on Philips that somehow stay out. With the puck frozen at 2:12, Coach Sparre pulls Frankel. The offense never really has a chance to get going, and Hughes is able to score on the empty net soon after. After maintaining possession in the offensive zone, they would pull Frankel again, and Eldridge hit the post one more time before the final buzzer.

This game, in addition to the 4/22 game against Ottawa, also reminds me of the TD Garden game against Montreal, and the St. Patrick's Day game against Toronto. All three of them, and this one as well, are games where they played well enough to win, but there were a few key moments where they were outperformed. Like Coach Sparre said about the 4/22 game where they hit three posts--if one of those shots is a few inches the other way, we're all happy and talking about what a great game it was. In this one, they hit four. In some cases, Philips stood on her head and defied improbable odds to make saves on certain shots. Their defense gave up multiple breakaways, they turned the puck over, and the goals they scored weren't exactly snipes. This wasn't a typical Boston "suffocating defense" game either, and the Fleet certainly weren't tip top, but I'm still confident they can win this series. Again, they played well enough to win on Saturday, they can play better than they did, and they will.

Three Stars: 1. Fanuza Kadirova, 2. Megan Keller, 3. Ronja Savolainen

Shoutouts: Aerin Frankel: 18/20, and as I said, the goals were just plain odd. One of them bounces even slightly differently, the game goes to OT. I'm pretty sure I've said this about every loss, but she deserved better.

Abby Newhook: She led the team in shots with six, a hit, and assisted on Keller's goal. She never quits.

Alina Müller: Five shots, an assist on Keller's goal, a hit, 17/24 faceoffs. One of the keys to winning these games is going to be possession, and winning faceoffs is going to be vital for that. No one can touch her in that regard. You can tell she took this loss hard. I hope she comes back with a vengeance and puts some of those incredible chances in the net.

Ella Huber: She had a great game. Five shots, three in the first period alone. Was also flying around causing turnovers, setting up plays, registered a hit. Have yourself a game.

Haley Winn: She actually beat Keller's ice time in this one, at 30:08 to her 29:11. 2 shots, set up a number of plays. It's so fun watching her skate.

Jessie Eldridge: I mean... do I have to explain this one? 3 shots plus two posts, also a hit. Some of the plays she set up were fantastic, especially sending the puck from the boards to Müller in front. It's shocking when she doesn't score or pick up a point of some kind. I really hope we can keep her next year.

Megan Keller: Out loan goal, and a nice one at that. Two shots, three hits. The way she was visibly trying to rally the troops and pull everyone together after the game says a lot about her as a leader and how much everyone on the team respects her. You can really see how important she is to this team.

What's Next: The Fleet are off until Friday, May 8th, when they play game three against the Charge at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT.

The Department of Player Safety has determined that "MacKinnon made no attempt to play the puck when she delivered a high, forceful, and illegal body check that made her opponent’s head the main point of contact on a play where such head contact was avoidable."

As I said in my postgame thread, it was a nasty play, you never want anyone to get hurt, head contact should be taken seriously, and Hughes crying on the bench was hard to watch. That being said, I don't think the point of contact was intentional, and when it was discussed on the postgame Jocks in Jills (30 minute mark), three former defenders explained why they would have made a similar play, how difficult it is to time the hit due to how fast the game is and especially trying to time a hit on a player with Hughes' speed, and even questioned assigning a major penalty, in particular in the first period of game one.

Specifically to the latter point, MacKinnon has essentially already missed an entire playoff game. Missing one is a big deal in and of itself, and she will have effectively missed two. As I said, head contact should be taken seriously, the primary concern is the wellbeing of the players, and while there are even players who can attest to the nature of the play not being cut and dried, I understand why the punishment during the game was what it was. Rules are rules; however, I think a suspension is going a bit overboard, in particular for the playoffs.

One of the most common complaints about officiating and discipline in this league is how wildly inconsistent it is, and it's hard to beat that rap when other players with prior history (not just that one) have caused concussions this season and received the minimum fine, or literally driven players' heads into the ice with no repercussions whatsoever.

In closing, I just want to add that MacKinnon has very visibly tried to both improve and clean up her game this year, decreasing her PIMs from 27 to 14, with some of those penalties being "smart" ones to break up scoring chances, and finished the season with a +6 rating. She has also shown herself to be a great teammate, and the fine she was assessed earlier this year was for actions in response to another player receiving a dangerous, potentially career ending hit. If you've been reading my postgame threads, you've probably seen that she has grown into one of my favorite players to watch this season, and I feel like I need to add the caveat that I'm writing this post as free from bias as possible. All things considered, she plays a physical game and is a heavy hitter, but to anyone thinking anything of the sort, I sincerely doubt that she went out there looking to hurt someone and put her team, or another player, in a bad position.

Last night the Fleet opened their playoff series against the Ottawa Charge, and despite an abundance of penalties and an early deficit, they came from behind with an offensive flurry late in the second, and Aerin Frankel was able to outlast Gwyneth Philips in the first chapter of the much anticipated goalie battle.

The suffocating defense that this team has been known for was on full display, and absolutely dominated the early going, and the Fleet set the tone early. Ottawa iced the puck almost immediately as they tried to change the momentum. In stark contrast to how things went against the Sirens in the previous game, Riley Brengman got the Fleet's first shot on goal within the first minute, and it took Ottawa over 17 minutes to get theirs.

Even with a power play chance (Brengman for holding), Ottawa wasn't able to put one on net. Maloney had two nice clears on the PK. She's great at that. The Fleet had a couple of chances early, with Haley Winn hitting the post on a shot from the side, and Winn and Alina Müller with a pair of one-timers. The Fleet had their first chance on the power play when Emily Clark was called for illegal body checking, but it was nullified after a bit of atrocious reffing.

Jessie Eldridge stood in front of net front, got knocked down by Brooke Hobson, tried to get up, and then was given basically a reverse headlock takeover. Eldridge didn't retaliate, just jockeyed for position. Payton Hemp got the puck, moved behind the net and Eldridge pursued her; she checked her into the boards, and took it to the net. Philips covered up, and Eldridge took a check from Rory Guilday, as well as a shove from behind from Hemp after the whistle. Guilday shoved her again, and Eldridge decided she'd had enough of being pushed around. A scrum ensued, but mostly pushing and shoving. Guilday loses her balance and falls down, so that apparently is enough to send Eldridge off for roughing--nothing for anyone else--despite that she's got her pads sticking out of her sweater.

The Fleet would kill it off, but there would be another penalty a few minutes later, and a rough one at that. Gabby Hughes went into the Boston zone with speed and was cut off by Rylind MacKinnon, who hit her hard. Hughes spun off of her and was laid out on the ice, and the hit was under review for a major. Full speed, it looks nasty, and MacKinnon's arm is up--looks like an elbow. We see two angles on the replay. One view looks like no head contact, the other looks like shoulder to head. Here's what I've got from watching repeatedly at .25 speed and stopping at key moments: Point of contact is shoulder to head. MacKinnon's arm is tucked, and when Hughes spins out, it brings MacKinnon's arm out, which at full speed, when they separate, just looks like her arm was up. It's not a good hit, I'm not defending it, but in no way do I see intent to injure. If you've been following along, you know I'm a MacKinnon fan, but I'm saying this without bias. It wasn't pretty, seeing Hughes crying on the bench sucked, and you never want to see anyone hurt. MacKinnon was ultimately assessed a five minute major and game misconduct. Open ice, head contact--I get it.

For a more detailed discussion of the hit with the perspective of people who have professionally played D at the highest level and how in the moment their instinct might have been to lay the hit that MacKinnon did, I highly recommend checking out the postgame Jocks in Jills, where Emma Buckles, Courtney Kennedy, and Tessa Bonhomme give their perspective. It starts at about the 30 minute mark.

The refs then do something inexcusably stupid and drop the puck for a faceoff while Hughes is being taken across the ice to head to the visitors' locker room, and not one of the four officials notices. The puck is cleared down off the draw and sails towards her, and only then do they notice and blow the whistle. The door closes and they abort the next faceoff attempt. The camera cuts to Coach Sparre, who visibly says, "What a f-ing mess. For Christ's sake." I agree. I love our potty mouthed coach.

While you can't hear that on the broadcast, just read his lips, you can hear him shouting to direct the players on the PK, shouting "Up! Up! Up!" Hardcore pressure, and the PK was killing it all night. They would kill off the first two minutes of the major, but Guilday hit a slap shot from the blue line, and Jocelyn Laroque was able to get a freak tip in in front and put the Charge up 1-0. They would nullify their own advantage, however, when Brianne Jenner would headlock Liz Schepers and drive her head into the boards, then Philips tripped Müller behind the net, getting the rare goalie penalty. Poor Müller was then bent over backwards, Matrix style, when Guilday tripped over her.

The Fleet would go into the second at 4-on-3, then have a brief 5-on-3, then 5-on-4, before Ottawa returned to full strength, and were unable to convert at any point within. They would get a prime opportunity when Keller broke in and passed across to Eldridge, but the pass just missed her stick. Jill Saulnier, playing an incredibly physical game, got flipped by Sarah Wozniewicz, and it wasn't pretty. Kathryn Reilly tested Frankel from point blank, but she made the save. Something you don't see everyday, a battle along the boards ensued, then everyone just kind of gave up and shrugged at the referee, realizing that they had lost the puck... surreal. Katerina Mrázová would then get perhaps the best look of the night, but hit the post. Then, it felt like something shifted.

Abby Newhook brought the puck in for a chance, capitalizing on a turnover; Müller would snap a quick shot off the rebound. Keller and Saulnier laid a pair of huge hits and Saulnier took the puck in with Maloney and forced Philips to make an unlikely save. Winn made an incredible move, with a one handed roll around the net to dish to Eldridge in front. Olivia Mobley, back in the lineup for the first time since January, made a block in front.

Then, with just over two minutes to go in the second, Müller, who had been everywhere all night, blocked a shot, sent the puck over to Eldridge, and rushed ahead with Jamie Lee Rattray. Müller and Rattray criss cross as they entered the zone, Eldridge passesd over to Müller who then split between two defenders, cutting off Ronja Savolainen and deking left, then put it top shelf over Philips' shoulder as she leaned in to meet her. Absolutely incredible sequence, and one of the coolest goals of the season, at the very least.

A mere 1:29 later, Müller again got the puck, collecting it as it rolled around the corner, and passed up along the boards to Rattray, who gave it to Eldridge. Eldridge skidded to a halt after entering the zone, delayed, and sent it across to Rattray as she skated up the middle. Rattray had Kadirova and Guilday both clinging to her and somehow, as she was taken down, shoved the puck towards the net on her backhand and pushed ahead. Somehow, it found its way through five hole. An improbable goal thanks to yet another fantastic sequence set up by Eldridge and Müller. Rattray slams the ice and cellys hard. Like Depeche Mode, I just can't get enough.

Hughes would test Frankel one more time in the closing seconds of the period, but we'd head to the third with the Fleet on top. Like the first, Ottawa would immediately ice the puck. Eldridge would get called for her second penalty of the game--boarding, maybe iffy, but I'll buy it. Once out of the box, she made a nice play to create a turnover and chase the puck through the neutral zone, but Wozniewicz knocks her down as she attempts to play the puck, sending the Fleet to the power play on an interference call. Winn would get a textbook one-timer from Keller, and Hadley Hartmetz put the puck on net from the blue line, with Ella Huber attempted a spinorama on the rebound.

In the other end, Frankel made a save on a Leslie one-timer, and there was a scary play where she mishandled the puck and couldn't cover, keeping the play alive longer than anyone wanted it to be. The Fleet would get another chance with Müller racing in for a shot from the corner, then Newhook got an attempt at the rebound. At this point, Ottawa is desperate, and it coincides with the refs deciding they want to pack it in early and go home. Alexa Vasko wraps Winn and takes her down. Winn then takes a cross check from Leslie (Ottawa really doesn't like her). Reilly slashes Saulnier on the skate, taking her down. Kadirova has her stick hooked around Keller's head, to the point where it gets caught in her mask. No calls on any of these.

Rough collision between Saulnier and Kadirova. Saulnier looked stunned and skated off holding her arm. Ottawa tried to mount a last effort in the dying minutes and the Fleet really stepped up their defense. Eldridge had a breakaway at one point, but Philips got a piece to keep it out. Maloney at one point raced back to beat out an icing call, and they would maintain possession of the puck and hold it in Ottawa's end, forcing them to keep Philips in net until there was under a minute left. They wouldn't get the puck in the Fleet's end until a center ice clear made it to Frankel and she decided to play it safe and cover up with 40.9 remaining. After a Boston faceoff win, the puck was kept along the boards for the remainder of regulation, minus a last second desperate hack to send the puck across the ice.

The Fleet set the tone early with oppressive defense and heavy hits. The major penalty was highly unfortunate and put them at an early disadvantage, but fortunately, they had dressed seven defenders and it didn't leave them positionally handicapped for the remainder of the game. Resilience and consistency were the keys to this game, and they never quit. This was a complete, 60 minute game from every player. I expect a lot of fight from Ottawa, and it will still be hard to score on Philips. Still, we're up 1-0 with another one at home tomorrow, and in a five game series, that counts for a lot.

Three Stars: 1. Alina Müller, 2. Jessie Eldridge, 3. Jocelyn Laroque

Shoutouts: Aerin Frankel: 17/18 with the one goal being kind of a freak tip, right in front. Bad luck. Fortunately, we've got some miracle workers who backed her up in the second and it didn't end up mattering.

Alina Müller: She was literally everywhere, all over the ice, positioning herself for any possible scoring opportunity, or setting someone else up for one. Incredible awareness, led the team in shots with seven, 18/27 from the dot, and some key wins thereof, on top of an assist and a fantastic goal.

Jessie Eldridge: How good is she? 12 points in 12 games since joining the team. Not just two assists last night, but she made great plays to set them up. Nearly got a goal on a breakaway, defensive play to nearly create another. Second in shots with five.

Jamie Lee Rattray: Huge goal, and a fancy one requiring a lot of resilience to get to the net, at that. She's such a valuable leader on this team, and it's great to see her succeed. Love the celly.

Megan Keller: The day before her birthday, she earned herself a big celebration with over 30 minutes of ice time, and a couple of big hits. Nearly set up a few other scoring chances, as well. Further, we're not here without her leadership.

Haley Winn: Her first playoff game in her rookie year had some big moments. Just under 30 TOI, two shots, two hits.

Jill Saulnier: With MacKinnon out, her physicality was important for setting the tone. Four hits, and good ones, at that. Hope she's okay after that collision.

Olivia Mobley: Welcome back! Only 6:59 to ease her back in, but still managed two blocks and two hits.

What's Next: The Fleet return to the ice at the Tsongas Center for game two of the semifinals against the Ottawa Charge tomorrow, May 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Alina Müller was recently interviewed for the What Chaos! podcast, and they aired it on the show yesterday to help promote last night's playoff game. They released a longer version of the clip by itself and I've linked it here. It's a really fun interview!

For those unfamiliar with the platform, What Chaos! is based out of Boston and primarily covers the NHL, but also covers news about the PWHL and other hockey related stuff like Heated Rivalry. They're big Fleet fans and although they primarily cover the men's stuff, they get excited to talk about women's hockey, and they're clearly big fans of Alina. Worth checking out.

Many happy returns to Fleet captain Megan Keller! Keller is one of the three foundational PWHL Boston players, alongside Aerin Frankel and Hilary Knight, serving as alternate captain, before being named captain prior to this season. A hard hitting, 5'11" defender with a killer slapshot, she anchors the Fleet's blueline for nearly half of each game, averaging nearly 30 minutes of ice time. Her first PWHL goal was scored in Boston's inaugural game against Montreal.

Having one of the best years imaginable, she just recorded her 50th career point in the last game of the regular season and will very likely take home Defender of the Year honors (she was also a top three nominee in 2024), after having just scored the game winning goal in the gold medal game for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This of course led to an appearance on Saturday Night Live, as well as a whole lot of other talk show appearances.

In addition to this year's Olympics, she won gold with Team USA in 2018 and silver in 2022, and serves as USA's alternate captain. In the IIHF World Championships, she is a six time gold medalist and three time silver medalist, and won silver in the U18 World Championship in 2014.

Keller also set the record for points by a Boston College defender in her sophomore year with 52 (12G, 40A), and for +/- rating with +64, which was also the top rating in the country. She ultimately graduated as the record holder for BC scoring by a defender with 158 points (45G, 113A), and is not only the only defender to ever win the Cammy Granato award, but won it twice.

This season her totals were 22 points (7G, 15A), including four power play goals and one shorthanded jailbreak goal, a +10 rating, with 50 hits, 23 blocks, and 68 shots. Outstanding.

Happy birthday, Megan!

Everything looks pretty standard tonight. Coach Sparre is going with what has been working as of late, with the exception of the recently activated Olivia Mobley taking Loren Gabel’s place on the line with Jamie Lee Rattray and Hannah Brandt. Frankel in net, as expected, and Mia Biotti in as the 7th D.

LET’S GET THIS W!

Breaking news within the past hour, the Fleet have made a couple of roster moves prior to tonight's game and the start of the playoffs, activating forward Olivia Mobley from long term injured reserve, and signing defender Mia Biotti to a standard player agreement. In corresponding moves, they have reassigned forward Loren Gabel and defender Noemi Neubauerová to the reserve squad.

Prior to suffering an upper-body injury during practice over the Olympic break, Mobley had been a sparkplug in the lineup, notching three goals and two assists in ten games, including her first goal and assist in a matter of 23 seconds.

The 6'0" Cambridge, MA native Biotti has played in 13 games for the Fleet this season, with two assists and a +3 rating. She had previously been signed to a standard contract prior to the last game of the season, when she was assigned to the reserve squad in favor of Neubauerová.

Gabel had initially joined the roster when Sophie Shirley was placed on LTIR on January 26th, and appeared in 16 games. She had one goal and one assist, the goal being the first of four in the Fleet's third period come-from-behind rally against Montreal on March 15th.

Neubauerová appeared in three games for the Fleet, providing roster depth after forward Laura Kluge was placed in concussion protocol.

Hey Crew, we've got an update on the date and time of the third game of the Fleet's semi-final series against the Ottawa Charge. Per the PWHL schedule page, it has been set for Friday, May 8th, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Ottawa has also confirmed a date and time for a hypothetical game four for Sunday, May 10th at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Ottawa is hosting the games at the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, now that they have been eliminated from the playoffs. They played one game there this season, losing 3-0 to Montreal.

The Fleet are of course playing their home games at the Tsongas Center, with game one kicking off the series tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, and game two on Saturday, May 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Alina Müller was interviewed for the latest episode of Jocks in Jills. She and Tessa sit down for a chat about her experiences at the Olympics, including scoring the overtime goal to clinch the bronze medal and being the flag bearer in the closing ceremony, as well as other fun topics like team parties and getting around on her awesome roller skate guards.

What began as an exercise in frustration as the Fleet struggled to get to the puck to the net for even a single shot ended up yielding one of the best final 20s of the season. The Fleet have now swept the season series against the Sirens for the second year in a row, with Frankel currently boasting a 130:54 shutout streak against New York.

The Sirens would get more than a few early chances, with a scary one coming as Alina Müller was taken down trying to pass off of a face off. New York seized the puck and quickly putting it on net. Riley Brengman would take a delay of game penalty four minutes in, but despite another turnover leading to a dangerous chance, the Fleet were able to kill it off. They would have a flurry of their own, making a series of attempts to get the puck through, but couldn't get it there. Great forecheck by Jamie Lee Rattray and Loren Gabel as they applied pressure behind the net as New York tried to get the puck out of their zone. The defense is spotty, but when they're executing, they're doing it well.

A bit of early fireworks as Denisa Krizova gets a bit too close to Frankel, earning a shove from Brengman. Payton Levis comes in to assist her teammate, but gets shoved into Levis, who goes down. Rattray looked to have a breakaway in store, but Micah Zandee-Hart sped in to break things up. Levis would continue to have a rough go of it when Rylind MacKinnon absolutely crushes her into the boards, causing the booth official to jump backwards. MacKinnon would go to clear the puck out moments later, Levis would rush at her, only for her to eat another check. MacKinnon was on a mission to be a one woman highlight reel in this game. Stay tuned. The Fleet would finally get their first--and only--shot on goal in the first period with 8:25 remaining. Thank you, Abby Newhook.

Madi Wheeler would take down Haley Winn with a sort of combined clothesline/sweep, and Winn went down hard. No call and a chorus of boos. Sarah Fillier gets a high danger chance in front, but the shot goes wide. Frankel loses her stick in the process, and it's nowhere within reach. MacKinnon chases the puck, hits Casey O'Brien as she passes, and heads back to the net to help Frankel. Wheeler is perched on Frankel's blindside and MacKinnon shoves her away from what would have been an open net. Fillier waits on the other side for a tip and Frankel is still in trouble. A shot comes in, but before Fillier can get to it, MacKinnon knocks her down. She gets a call for a cross check--deserved--but Fillier folds onto the ice as though she were shot in the back, embellishing just a wee bit. No call for that, but I wouldn't necessarily expect one. Excellent shift from MacKinnon, though, and sometimes you have to take a "smart" penalty to prevent a goal. This was an example of that.

The Fleet's penalty kill was outstanding here, with Shay Maloney breaking up a play and clearing, then poking the puck away and clearing again on New York's next entry. Frankel made successive saves on shots by O'Brien and Krizova, and Daniela Pejšová came through with a nice block when Anna Bargman made a sweeping pass from the ice to an open Kayla Vespa. MacKinnon rushed back from the box and cleared the puck behind the net, and as Elle Hartje came around to it, Pejšová applied suffocating pressure to block her movement from both sides. Jessie Eldridge and Müller chipped in with with blocks, as well. The defense showed flashes of brilliance, so you can't say it was completely absent.

Back to the other end, Rattray made a behind the back pass from the boards to Hannah Brandt, who managed to get the puck in the air, but Callie Shanahan would glove it away from the net. Ella Huber made a great effort to enter the zone and keep the puck in, got the puck to Susanna Tapani, but she couldn't center back to Huber. Frankel would save shots from Krizova and Maja Nylen Persson before Eldridge would block third, then poke the puck away on another attempt and pass the puck out to Müller, while also laying a hit in the process. What an addition she has been.

The second period wasn't quite as lopsided and was more back-and-forth to start. Another really nice shift by MacKinnon I'd like to point out: She makes a clear attempt; it gets cut off. She heads to the net, blocks a shot and turns the puck away behind the net. It gets passed back in front and is poked by Eldridge, sending the puck airborne. MacKinnon gloves it, shoves Kristin O'Neill away from the net, and as the puck is cleared around by New York, she hits Hartje at the boards and holds her while Sophie Shirley collects and clears. REALLY nice game from her.

Exciting sequence as Brandt passes to Rattray behind the net, on to Gabel, and Rattray is hit hard into the boards, but pops back up, takes the puck back from Gabel and sends it net front to Brandt. It's broken up, but seized by Gabel, who gets it to Winn, on to Keller, who dangles up to the net, but whiffs on her shot. Winn is there and lined up for the shot--Rattray gets to it first and sends it into Shanahan's pads for the second shot of the game (just over three minutes into the second period). Winn pounces on the rebound but hits the side of the net. She gets the puck, takes it around, gets tripped by Zandee-Hart, Bargman falls on her, and we get a whistle as Brandt is stuck in the net. Back the other way, O'Brien speeds in on Frankel, takes her out and brings Winn with her, and they're in Boston's net together.

Then the real fireworks go off. Shirley enters the zone and feeds to Tapani from the corner. The puck pops up as it gets in on Shanahan, and there's an extended sequence of chaos as Shirley, Tapani, and Huber fight for the loose puck with Nicole Vallario, Lauren Bernard, and O'Neill. Credit to the refs for not blowing an early whistle as it was clearly loose, despite the close quarters, and only blowing it dead when they lost sight of it. Huber and Bernard break from the puck battle and start having a shoving match. MacKinnon, standing by, saw the puck sneak out just before the whistle blew, and went in for a poke. Levis comes in and hits MacKinnon high, who gives her one back, Shirley turns to see Levis hit MacKinnon a second time, and launches herself at Levis. A ref immediately grabs MacKinnon from behind, and she just drags the ref into the pile. From one camera angle, you just see her moving the entire thing while Huber and Bernard go at it in the foreground. Tapani, not usually a fighter, is caught in the middle, and gets knocked down. She pulls herself back up and punches Krizova. Shirley and O'Neill are tangled with a ref trying to peel them apart, Shirley reaching over the ref to get at O'Neill, while MacKinnon has her hands on Vallario and shoves her into the now-dislodged net. Vallario gives her a punch right in the face, but with a ref holding MacKinnon's arms, she can't do much to retaliate. They're separated by the force of that ref coming from one way, and the bundle of Shirley, O'Neill and another ref getting wedged between them. Bernard skates up behind MacKinnon for a cheap shot, but MacKinnon turns and sees her, gives her a shove and laughs at her. They continue chirping at each other as Huber shoves Bernard away, Bernard thinking the whole thing is pretty funny. Believe it or not, not a single penalty came out of this! Eric Gallanty with an epic call to sum up the whole scene: "How can you not be romantic about hockey?"

Wheeler looks like she has a breakaway later on, but is offside. She randomly decides to knock an approaching Liz Schepers down as she skates around and the team converges on her. Refs are there as well and she just gets a good shove from Winn. She chirps Schepers as she skates away and MacKinnon shoves her into the bench. She's everywhere, kicking everyone's ass, and I am so here for it. The Fleet would get a power play, as Eldridge and Müller connect on a chance and Emmy Fecteau comes in with a blatant cross check from behind on Newhook when she goes in on Shanahan. You could say she 'Fecteaup.' Nothing doing, there, though. One terrifying moment before the close of the second, as Zandee-Hart comes in on a rush and hits the post.

Starting the third, the pace feels a bit different. Coach Sparre has changed up the Pink Scrunchie Club, shifting Müller to left wing and plugging in Tapani at center. They immediately start gelling and get some good looks in the early going. Human Highlight Reel Ryland MacKinnon with two massive hits in the neutral zone in rapid succession to clear out space. Since it's already happened twice, I have to mention that Eldridge also took a turn getting caught in the net. The Fleet would finally get on the board though, as they maintained possession on a shift, sending the puck around and wearing out the Sirens' defense. Tapani sent it behind the net and it was briefly touched by a defender before Eldridge got her stick on it, sent it to Keller, who fired from the blue line. Eldridge had made her way out front and got a tip while Tapani created a screen. Despite being wildly outshot, the Fleet were the only ones with a mark on the part of the scoreboard that matters. To that point, eight out of the last twelve goals scored by the Fleet were either scored by or assisted by Jessie Eldridge. Incredible.

Another net front pileup due to loose puck pressure, with Vespa taking down Tapani, Eldridge tripping over her, and subsequently bringing Vespa down with her, but that's where the fun ends. Shirley with a nice setup for Maloney, but she misses wide. Jill Saulnier would bring the puck through, have her arm held and get taken down, no call. Hadley Hartmetz put the puck on net from the blue line, and Huber cleaned up the rebound for the Fleet's second goal (secondary by Schepers).

Levis, who was actually on her way back to the bench after losing her stick, would run into Müller and knock her to the ice as she was attempting to make a defensive play, earning an interference call, and the Fleet would make good on the power play this time. Keller and Winn would play catch, with Keller faking her one-time shot before passing back to Winn, who would connect on her own one-timer, through the Sirens' defense, which was drawn off by Keller's fakeout. Keller's assist is also her 50th point! Eldridge with the secondary.

Noemi Neubauerová would get called for boarding, sending the Fleet to the penalty kill soon after, but as New York had decided to pull Shanahan to skate 6-on-4, as Schepers pinned O'Brien to the boards, Saulnier kicked the puck to herself and drove right in for the shorthanded jailbreak empty netter. Second assist of the game for Schepers.

Frankel wasn't nearly as busy this period, but still active, highlighted by an unbelievable stick save, reaching all the way across to swat the puck out of midair with her stick before it could get to the net. In the end, she shut the door, with a few last minute saves for good measure, in her record eighth shutout of the season. As she is announced for the first star of the game, the fans chant "MVP."

What initially felt like it could have spiraled into a humiliating loss climaxed with a high energy surge, anchored by Frankel. After being outshot 16-1 in the first, the final SOG total was 30-24. This is a team that never quits, and just when you think they're out of it, they find a way. It's hard to doubt this team. They are special, and even the least hopeful person could find hope in the Fleet. What an incredible season it has been. For a team that everyone (but me) picked to finish last, they finish 16-6-2-6, good for a .689 win percentage, with 62 points and only losing first place on the second tiebreaker. And we're not done yet.

Three Stars: 1. Aerin Frankel, 2. Jessie Eldridge, 3. Ella Huber

Shoutouts: Aerin Frankel: 30/30, with some real highlight reel material mixed in. Her record setting eighth shutout. In addition to her PWHL season, if you include the Rivalry Series, and the Olympics, she has started 33 games and given up just 35 goals. Very likely the MVP, quite possibly Goalie of the Year. Regardless, she is the greatest goalie in the world, full stop. No, believe it or not, I did not intend that pun.

Jessie Eldridge: Where would our second half be without her? She has been such a sparkplug for this team and completely reinvigorated both the offense and the powerplay. Add in some excellent defense, blocks, and hits, what's not to love? Bringing her back has to be a priority.

Megan Keller: With two assists, she crosses the 50 point threshold. Major congratulations to her. Sad that Tapani didn't get the secondary on Eldridge's goal so that she'd also make it to 50, but I digress. Without a leader like Keller, I wonder if this team goes where it does. Some games you can really see her drag everyone back into it, and this was one of those games.

Hannah Brandt: This was her last regular season game with the Fleet, and she played great. She's always doing something to help out, even if it doesn't show up on the sheet. She will be missed next year.

Rylind MacKinnon: Incredible display of how far she has come this season. Earlier this season, she was the 7th D. Fast forward to the last game of the season, and she features prominently in so much of what happened. In addition to the above, she also dropped to her knee to poke a pass away before it could cross the net. I really hope she's back with the Fleet next year. She's quickly become one of my favorites.

Sophie Shirley: Absolutely everywhere trying to make things happen. Nothing connected or found its way through, but she never stopped going full force trying to make it happen.

Liz Schepers: Two assists, nice gritty game both ways. She fought hard to get things going, and it paid off.

Haley Winn: 3 shots, 1 hit, and her first PPG in 24:31 TOI, capping off a very likely successful campaign for Rookie of the Year, and one of the best seasons of anyone on the team, or in the league, third in defender scoring behind only Keller and Sophie Jaques.

What's Next: The Fleet open the first round of playoffs at home, against the Ottawa Charge. Game one is Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Montreal has picked the Minnesota Frost as their first round opponent, so the Fleet will open the playoffs at the Tsongas Center against the Ottawa Charge, starting Thursday, April 30, at 7:00 p.m. The time for game two is now confirmed for 7:00 p.m., as well.

With the Ottawa Senators being eliminated from the NHL playoffs, the Charge have announced that their home venue for the playoffs will be the Canadian Tire Center. The date and time of game three in Ottawa is still TBD.

The Fleet have had a tense rivalry with Ottawa this season, with each game going to overtime, and three going to a shootout. The Fleet only managed to pick up one shootout win in the season series, taking the game on a Hannah Brandt shot past Gwyneth Philips for the 3-2 victory on February 28th.

The games have been tense and hard fought, and while the Fleet have a losing record against the Charge, the games have certainly been within reach. The playoffs are a clean slate and a whole new style of play, so the regular season record is not necessarily the best indicator for how a series will go. Do I think the Fleet can win? Absolutely. If there is one thing we know about this team, no matter the odds, they never quit.

Would the Fleet have picked Minnesota, given the opportunity? No one knows for sure, but they have made it clear that they are ready for any challenge and will gladly face whomever they match up with.