LAVAL – Maggie Flaherty noticed 5 Ottawa Cost gamers headed towards the facet boards, and made a beeline towards the slot screaming for Marie-Philip Poulin to get her the puck.
The move from the Montreal Victoire captain, because it usually does, landed proper on Flaherty’s tape and she or he one-timed the shot over the glove of netminder Gwyneth Philips.
Flaherty’s second aim of the playoffs got here 14:12 into extra time to present the Victoire a 2-1 win over the Cost in Recreation 2 of the Skilled Girls’s Hockey League’s Walter Cup closing on Saturday at Place Bell.
The win offers Montreal a 2-0 lead within the best-of-five sequence. Ottawa will host Recreation 3 on Monday because the Cost face elimination for the primary time on this post-season.
Seems, although, that Flaherty could not have needed to yell. Poulin, who leads the PWHL in playoff scoring, stated she noticed her teammate out of the nook of her eye.
“She’s Pou,” stated Victoire defender Kati Tabin, who additionally scored for Montreal, when requested about how she made the play earlier than including that she has eyes at the back of her head. Flaherty then added that she has eyes throughout her head.
Associated Movies
Sarah Wozniewicz scored for the Cost, who had an opportunity to win the sport simply earlier than the play went the opposite method. Alexa Vasko’s shot was stopped by Ann-Renee Desbiens seconds earlier than the successful aim. Desbiens made 20 saves on the night time as Montreal outshot Ottawa 29-21.
Get day by day Nationwide information
Get day by day Canada information delivered to your inbox so you will by no means miss the day’s high tales.
The Cost have been sad with the extra time winner, feeling defender Emma Greco was tripped within the defensive zone simply earlier than Flaherty was broad open.
“On the finish of the day, we most likely put too many gamers in towards the puck, however our net-front D goes to be web entrance but when she will get her ft worn out from underneath her proper earlier than that play, it’s fairly laborious to get again to the place you have to be,” stated Cost head coach Carla McLeod.
Ottawa was held with out a shot for the primary eight minutes of the sport however opened the scoring on its first alternative.
After a shot hit the submit behind Desbiens, Wozniewicz discovered the puck within the crease and tucked it within the web.
Montreal outshot the Cost 11-5 within the opening body, regardless of killing the interval’s solely penalty. In the course of the kill, each groups had scoring probabilities.
Montreal’s Laura Stacey had a breakaway however was unable to get a shot off, whereas Ottawa’s Rebecca Leslie fired a one-timer off the submit. Philips made massive saves on Catherine Dubois and Hayley Scamurra at even energy.
“It’s a protracted sport,” stated Poulin. “We have been pleased with the way in which we got here out within the first 20 minutes. Generally, it isn’t all the time mirrored within the rating however for us it was to proceed, put within the work and hold digging.”
The Victoire tied the sport 32 seconds into the second interval.
Off the faceoff, Tabin picked up a free puck and roofed a backhand on Philips. It was the defender’s first aim of the playoffs.
It was the one aim of a bodily center interval, with Ottawa outshooting Montreal 6-4. The perfect probability was a Stacey breakaway try when her wrist shot hit the crossbar. Each groups had unsuccessful energy performs within the first half of the third interval.
The Cost, who’ve now misplaced 5 straight video games within the closing courting again to final season, are down 2-0 regardless of being the one workforce to steer the sequence in regulation time. Montreal’s solely leads have come on their extra time winners.
“Welcome to sport,” McLeod stated. “You simply hold going. We’re discovering methods to attain objectives, we’re discovering methods to win video games all through the playoffs. We consider in what we do.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Might 16, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press