Toronto and Montreal are the only two teams to have clinched a postseason berth.
The PWHL’s inaugural season has been a solid success when it comes to the competitiveness and parity of the teams. All original six teams have been knotted closely together, with no one team running away with the top spot and none left behind by a wide margin (perhaps until this final week).
With the scoring system (three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, and one for an OT/SO loss), there was potential for one or two teams to dominate. However, the scores have been close and more games were decided by one goal than any other margin.
As we enter May, the 24-game season for each team is coming to a close, and only two teams have clinched a playoff spot. (Four of the six teams qualify, and there will be two five-game semi-final series before the five-game final for the Walter Cup).
PWHL Toronto was the first team to clinch a spot on April 20. They had gone on a spectacular run in February and into March with a dominant 11-game winning streak. After the World Championship break, Toronto lost their first game to Boston but went into the Bell Centre in Montreal for the “Duel at the Top” and came away with an overtime win, giving them a playoff berth.
Montreal punched their own ticket to the postseason in their next game versus PWHL New York, the league’s last-place team. With a solid 5-2 victory, they made sure they would be in the top four. (The team that finishes first gets to choose their opening-round opponent – the third- or fourth-place team). The top two teams will have home-ice advantage for the first round.
After this weekend’s games, no other teams qualified, and the three teams battling for the last two spots can still finish in any order.
Ottawa had gained some ground over fifth-place Boston when they defeated them earlier in the week but gave it right back by losing to Montreal in regulation, while Boston picked up a win over Minnesota.
There are still scenarios where the final game for each of the three teams could mean qualification or elimination. Minnesota looks to be comfortably in third, but if they were to lose both of their final games, they could be on the outside looking in.
Meanwhile, New York was eliminated with the loss to Montreal, and are technically now playing for Draft Order Points under the ‘Gold Plan.’ They have two more games to try to accrue points and potentially draft top prospect Sarah Fillier.
PWHL Toronto defeated New York on Sunday with a dominating 6-2 performance and clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
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