LOWELL, MA (Might 1, 2026) – Gwyneth Philips made 30 saves as the Ottawa Cost defeated the Boston Fleet 3-1 on Saturday night time at a sold-out Tsongas Middle with 6,017 followers, night the best-of-five sequence at 1-1. Fanuza Kadirova scored the game-winner, and Jocelyne Larocque added two assists to steer the Cost offensively. Ronja Savolainen opened the scoring, selecting the highest nook from simply contained in the blue line, marking the second straight recreation the Cost have scored first in opposition to a Fleet squad that led the league with 23 game-opening targets within the common season. Philips held the benefit for the guests, making 14 of her 30 saves within the opening interval as Boston outshot Ottawa by six within the body. Kadirova’s eventual game-winner gave Ottawa the first multi-goal lead of the sequence at 1:54 of the second interval, as she fired a shot from the flank previous Aerin Frankel quick facet, with Larocque recording the primary of her two assists on the play. The Fleet reduce Ottawa’s lead in half on a aim by captain Megan Keller, who snapped a shot off the frenzy from the excessive slot with simply 10 seconds remaining within the interval. With the rating nonetheless 2-1, Boston pushed for the equalizer, outshooting Ottawa 9-4 within the third interval, however Philips shut the door earlier than Gabbie Hughes sealed the win with an empty-net aim, assisted by Larocque, at 18:30. Frankel made 18 saves for the Fleet within the loss.
Ottawa is about to host Sport 3 of the sequence on Friday, Might 8 at Canadian Tire Centre.
QUOTES
Ottawa Head Coach Carla MacLeod on the distinction for her crew in Sport 2: “I believe, like this season, this sequence can be so tight. We have seen it and we’ve mentioned after final recreation, it is going to be onerous fought. Clearly, Gwyneth [Philips] had an important recreation. She helped us work our manner via a number of the moments. However our group is resilient, and we imagine in ourselves. We simply maintain constructing and we’re going to maintain going at it.”
Cost goaltender Gwyneth Philips on having to make key saves to protect the lead: “I imply, that is my job, proper? Make the saves. My defenders did an important job as we speak serving to me clear sight strains and getting the pucks out. I do know when it was form of late within the third, I simply spit a rebound proper up the slot and Brianne Jenner simply swatted at it. I used to be giving her kudos. We have been working effectively collectively, and everybody’s been serving to me out. All of us have our jobs to do and that is superb.”
Boston Head Coach Kris Sparre on what he says to his gamers once they have a number of scoring possibilities that don’t go in: “You’ve acquired to simply keep it up. I’ve been in so many of those playoff sequence earlier than, a number of totally different ranges, totally different leagues. It’s a five-game sequence for a purpose. You wish to be taking part in your finest hockey as you go all through the sequence. Our job is to seek out methods to generate possibilities and I believed we had sufficient tonight. We had pucks laying on the aim line, we hit posts, we had second and third possibilities in entrance of their internet. And so, it’s actually not one thing that you just wish to draw an excessive amount of consideration to as a result of then gamers begin gripping their sticks. However simply maintain creating these possibilities and ultimately it’s going to go.”
Boston Captain Megan Keller on what the Fleet want to deal with heading to Ottawa subsequent week: “I believe it comes all the way down to burying our possibilities and being robust in entrance of our internet; at the hazard zones, on the blue strains. That is playoff hockey — not every thing’s going to be fairly. You have to grind groups down; it is a five-game sequence for a purpose. It’s 1-1 proper now and we have now a job to do once we get to Ottawa.”
NOTABLES
Tonight was the primary time in six head-to-head video games this season the place the successful margin was larger than one.
This was Ottawa’s first-ever playoff recreation determined by a number of targets, ending a file streak of 9 one-goal ends in the postseason. All 4 of Boston’s all-time playoff losses have been by a number of targets.
Ottawa scored three targets and received on the street for simply the second time within the crew’s 10-game playoff historical past, final reaching each feats with a 3-2 victory in Montréal in Sport 1 of final season’s semifinal sequence on Might 8, 2025.
The final time the Cost scored three targets on the street in 2025-26 was Mar. 14 with a 3-2 time beyond regulation win in Vancouver, with tonight’s end result snapping a five-game street streak of two or fewer targets.
Boston surrendered three targets on true house ice for simply the second time in 15 video games this season, with the one different occasion a 4-3 shootout win in opposition to New York on Jan. 28 on the Tsongas Middle.
Ottawa has restricted its opposition to 1 or fewer targets in 5 of their final six video games.
The Fleet offense has been held to 1 aim simply twice in 10 video games on the Tsongas Middle this season, each in opposition to the Cost, together with the 2-1 time beyond regulation loss on Apr. 22.
Boston has outshot Ottawa by 10 photographs on aim in consecutive video games. Through the common season, the Fleet outshot opponents 16 occasions and the Cost have been outshot by opponents 16 occasions.
All three of Ottawa’s playoff sequence have been tied 1-1 after two video games, with the earlier two ending in a four-game win and a four-game loss. Boston’s solely different sequence tied 1-1 after two video games additionally began at house and led to a five-game defeat within the 2024 PWHL Finals in opposition to Minnesota.
Gwyneth Philips made 30 saves, marking the fifth time in her 10-game postseason profession she has recorded 30 or extra stops. The victory was her fifth profession playoff win and her first regulation postseason win since Sport 4 of the 2025 semifinals in opposition to Montréal, with all 4 video games in final yr’s Finals determined in time beyond regulation.
Fanuza Kadirova scored her first profession playoff aim in her second postseason recreation. The 28-year-old now has two game-winning targets in her final three contests, together with the winner in Ottawa’s regular-season finale on April 25.
Jocelyne Larocque recorded two assists for the primary multi-point playoff recreation of her profession, extending her postseason level streak to 3 video games. She now has factors in 5 of her final six postseason contests (2G, 4A) after main Ottawa’s blue line in playoff scoring final yr with 4 factors (1G, 3A) in eight video games. With three factors (1G, 2A) this postseason, she is tied atop the postseason scoring race and leads all defenders.
Ronja Savolainen scored her first profession playoff aim in her tenth postseason recreation. The defender had one help in eight playoff video games with the Cost final season and recorded 10 factors (4G, 6A) in 30 regular-season video games this yr.
Gabbie Hughes scored her first profession playoff aim in her tenth postseason recreation after recording three assists in eight playoff video games with the Cost final season. She matched her profession excessive this common season with 16 factors (5G, 11A) in 28 video games.
Megan Keller scored her first profession playoff aim in her tenth postseason recreation. In eight playoff video games in 2024, the defender recorded 4 assists. The Fleet captain, who led all PWHL defenders in scoring in 2025-26 with 22 factors (7G, 15A), has logged a mixed 59:40 of ice time via the primary two video games of the sequence, main all skaters.
Alina Müller recorded an help to offer her three factors (1G, 2A) via the primary two video games of the sequence, matching her eight-game whole from the 2024 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs, and tying her atop the playoff scoring race. After recording seven photographs in Sport 1, the Fleet alternate captain added 5 tonight and leads all gamers within the postseason in photographs. Her 17 faceoff wins tonight (on 24 makes an attempt) is second solely to the 18 she had in Sport 1 (on 27 makes an attempt), for a 68.6% successful proportion via two video games.
Abby Newhook recorded her first profession playoff level with an help, changing into the primary Fleet rookie and PWHL rookie ahead to register some extent this postseason. The Boston Faculty product additionally set a brand new profession excessive with six photographs on aim, main all skaters within the recreation.
Rebecca Leslie recorded an help for the second straight recreation, giving her two factors via her first two playoff video games this season. In eight playoff video games final season with the Cost, she recorded three factors (2G, 1A). Together with regular-season play, Leslie has factors in six of her final seven video games (2G, 4A) and 5 factors in her final 4 video games in opposition to the Fleet (3G, 2A).
Rory Guilday recorded a major help for the third straight recreation in opposition to the Fleet and now has two factors via her first two profession playoff video games. The defender is the one rookie within the 2026 playoffs with a number of factors so far.
Taylor Home recorded an help for her first level since April 2, 2025 — her closing regular-season look of 2024-25 — after going scoreless in 29 regular-season video games, 5 playoff video games final season, and Sport 1 of this sequence. The Cost ahead made her PWHL debut on the Tsongas Middle on Dec. 17, 2024.
Aerin Frankel has allowed two or fewer targets in 11 straight begins, together with her final recreation permitting three coming March 15 in opposition to Montréal.
Haley Winn led all skaters with 30:08 of ice time and has logged 58:56 via the primary two video games of the sequence. Larocque led all Ottawa skaters for the second straight recreation with 23:13 TOI and has totaled 48:00 via two video games.
Noemi Neubauerová made her playoff debut after being activated from Boston’s reserve record forward of the sport, taking part in 4:43 within the contest. The defender appeared in three video games for Boston this season.
Loren Gabel, who signed a 10-day contract with the Fleet forward of the competition, didn’t costume.
Rylind MacKinnon didn’t costume for Boston, serving a one-game suspension for an unlawful examine to the pinnacle in Sport 1.
THREE STARS
1. Fanuza Kadirova (OTT) GWG
2. Megan Keller (BOS) 1G
3. Ronja Savolainen (OTT) 1G
NEXT GAME
Sport 3: Friday, Might 8 at Ottawa at 7 p.m. ET
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