Watch PWHL Playoffs: Montreal vs Minnesota, Boston vs Ottawa

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) concludes its regular season and launches the Walter Cup playoffs on Thursday night, marking the start of a decisive postseason stretch.

Top‑seeded Montreal Victoire exercised its right to select a first‑round opponent and chose third‑place Minnesota Frost, the two‑time defending champion, for the opening series.

Since the league’s inaugural 2024 campaign, the regular‑season champion has been permitted to face either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, a rule that adds strategic depth to the playoff format.

Montreal’s decision left fourth‑seed Ottawa Charge to meet second‑seed Boston Fleet, a series that begins Thursday at the Tsongas Center in Boston.

Montreal and Minnesota will tip‑off their best‑of‑five series on Saturday, May 2, with the first two games slated for Place Bell in Montreal.

Montreal’s bold choice follows two consecutive first‑round exits, prompting Coach Kori Cheverie to describe an “internal process” that guided the decision to face the defending champion.

In the league’s first season, Minnesota entered the playoffs on a five‑game losing streak, upset No. 1 Toronto, and captured the inaugural Walter Cup.

The Frost repeated the feat last year, again defeating Toronto in the opening round before securing a second straight title.

Despite entering this postseason on a four‑game skid, Minnesota boasts the league’s most potent offense with 91 goals, five of which rank among the top ten scorers.

Kelly Pannek leads the Frost with 33 points in 30 games, underscoring the team’s firepower heading into the playoffs.

Montreal’s regular‑season record includes a 12‑3 advantage over Minnesota, highlighted by two shutouts in the final two meetings, one of which occurred without captain Marie‑Philip Poulin.

Goaltender Ann‑Renée Desbiens set league records this season with a .955 save percentage and a 1.11 goals‑against average, providing Montreal with a formidable last line of defense.

Montreal’s decision to confront Minnesota rather than Ottawa’s hot‑handed netminder Gwyneth Philips, who posted a .955 save percentage in the prior playoffs, reflects a calculated risk.

Dom Luszczyszyn’s predictive model assigns Montreal a 74 % chance to defeat Ottawa in the semifinals, only five points higher than its odds against Minnesota.

The Frost’s forward line—Pannek, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Britta Curl‑Salemme—combined for 65 goals, accounting for roughly 71 % of the team’s offense.

By contrast, 65 of Minnesota’s 91 goals were scored against non‑playoff opponents, revealing a potential vulnerability against elite competition.

Montreal’s defensive stalwart Desbiens, backed by a disciplined defensive corps, could neutralize the Frost’s star‑laden forward group.

Boston’s second‑seeded Fleet will square off against Ottawa, setting up a potential goalie duel between Boston starter Aerin Frankel and Ottawa’s Philips.

Frankel posted career‑highs this season with a .953 save percentage, a 1.17 GAA, and a league‑record eight shutouts, tying Desbiens for most wins (19).

Boston’s defensive foundation features Megan Keller and Haley Winn, who together logged over 53 minutes of ice time per game and rank among the league’s top‑five defenders in net rating.

Forward line captain Hilary Knight anchors a Boston attack that also includes Alina Müller, Susanna Tapani, and Jessie Eldridge, forming a “big three” with strong chemistry.

Despite Boston’s statistical superiority, Ottawa pushed the Fleet to overtime or shootout in all four regular‑season meetings, winning only one of those contests.

Ottawa’s offensive engine is driven by captain Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie, who combined for 30 points and finished in the league’s top ten scorers.

Leslie’s breakout season saw her tally 14 goals and 23 points, a dramatic increase from her previous two‑year career total of three goals.

Rookie Sarah Wozniewicz adds speed and forechecking intensity to Ottawa’s top line, complementing Jenner and Leslie’s playmaking.

Montreal’s depth has improved this season, with Abby Roque, Hayley Scamurra, and Laura Stacey leading the scoring chart and rookie defender Nicole Gosling tying for rookie‑defender points lead.

In the ten games without Poulin, Montreal recorded 12 different goal scorers, demonstrating a balanced offensive distribution that could mitigate the impact of her injury.

Poulin, still considered the premier player in women’s hockey, posted a point‑per‑game pace and ranked second in net rating (5.4) despite missing significant time with a lower‑body injury.

Her statement that “the heart, the mind is there” reflects confidence heading into the postseason, though her physical readiness remains a focal point for analysts.

Ottawa’s goaltending remains elite, with Philips delivering a .955 save percentage in the playoffs and recording 130 saves on 132 shots during the final stretch of the regular season.

Boston’s defensive metrics show only Montreal (41 GA) allowed fewer goals against than Boston (45 GA) this season, underscoring the high‑level competition awaiting the Fleet.

While Minnesota’s expansion‑draft losses included defenders Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, the Frost retained core pieces such as Coyne Schofield, Heise, and Lee Stecklein.

Notably, Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle slipped through the draft and emerged as the league’s scoring leader and fifth‑most prolific goal scorer, respectively.

The Frost’s reliance on a concentrated group of forwards raises questions about their ability to adapt should expansion drafts further erode their depth next offseason.

Montreal’s selection of Minnesota may also be influenced by the Victoire’s confidence in Desbiens, whose record‑setting performance could tip the series in a tightly contested matchup.

Below is a summary of the regular‑season standings for the four playoff teams:

Team	Seed	Points
Montreal Victoire	1	84
Boston Fleet	2	78
Minnesota Frost	3	72
Ottawa Charge	4	68

Key individual statistics for the top five scorers in the league are displayed below:

Player	Team	Points (GP)
Kelly Pannek	Minnesota Frost	33 (30)
Kendall Coyne Schofield	Minnesota Frost	31 (32)
Marie‑Philip Poulin	Montreal Victoire	30 (32)
Brianne Jenner	Ottawa Charge	28 (30)
Rebecca Leslie	Ottawa Charge	27 (30)

The first‑round schedule begins Thursday, April 30, with Ottawa at Boston, followed by the Montreal‑Minnesota series on Saturday, May 2.

Game 2 of each series is set for Tuesday, May 5, with Montreal hosting Minnesota again and Ottawa returning to Boston.

If necessary, Game 3 will see Montreal travel to Minnesota on Thursday, May 7, while Boston will host Ottawa on Friday, May 8.

Potential Game 4 and Game 5 dates remain to be confirmed, with Minnesota slated for home ice in a decisive Game 4 and Boston earmarked for a Game 5 if required.

Canadian viewers can watch the Montreal‑Minnesota series on Prime Video, while the Boston‑Ottawa matchup will be broadcast on TSN.

U.S. audiences will find the Boston and Minnesota games on Veezstream.

The Walter Cup Finals will be televised nationally in the United States on ION and streamed on Veezstream too.

Analysts will monitor how Poulin’s lingering injury influences Montreal’s offensive flow, especially in high‑pressure situations against Minnesota’s elite forwards.

Similarly, the performance of goaltenders Desbiens and Frankel will be crucial, as both have demonstrated the ability to dominate in clutch moments throughout the season.

Ottawa’s reliance on Jenner and Leslie’s chemistry could be tested by Boston’s top‑pair defense, while the Fleet’s depth may prove decisive in a series that has already featured multiple overtime games.

Minnesota’s “last dance” narrative gains momentum as the expansion draft looms, potentially making this postseason their final opportunity to secure a three‑peat before roster upheaval.

Overall, the PWHL’s third season culminates in a compelling playoff picture, with strategic choices, star performances, and historic stakes converging on the ice.