There will be hockey at the Lenovo Center on Friday night, but it won't be the Carolina Hurricanes suiting up. The PWHL Takeover Tour storms into Raleigh, making its seventh stop of nine for the 2024-25 season. Friday's matchup pits the defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost against the Ottawa Charge.
While this will be a fun spectacle in an NHL arena, this is an important game for both teams involved. Minnesota currently leads Ottawa by three points for the final playoff spot and with three points for a regulation win, a Charge victory could catapult them past the Frost. Every point is important as the league enters the final third of the season.
This is the fourth of six meetings between the two teams this season, with the previous three resolved in regulation. Minnesota won the first encounter in mid-December, winning 5-2 in Minnesota. Ottawa has won the last two, winning 1-0 on the road in January and 8-3 at home three weeks ago to set the PWHL record for goals in a game. Here's a quick look at each team and the players to watch for Friday's bout.
Ottawa Charge
After just missing the playoffs last season, the Charge is in a similar situation this time around, too. They're just below the line for now but moving in the right direction. The Charge has points in five straight games, going 3-0-2 during this stretch. They haven't played in over a week since beating the New York Sirens 5-4 in overtime on February 26th.
Ottawa enters the night with the fewest goals in the league overall, but they aren't far removed from that eight-goal outburst against the Frost. In that win, Tereza Vanisova recorded a hat trick, while Gabbie Hughes had two goals and an assist. Vanisova is fourth in the league in goals with nine, and Hughes is the reigning second star of the week. Emily Clark leads the team with 14 points and is second with seven goals.
With the team's struggles offensively, some of their big stars haven't produced at their expected level. Captain Brianne Jenner has just two goals and eight points after recording 20 points a season ago. 2nd overall pick Danielle Serdachny has just seven points. Getting those two on the scoresheet more consistently will be big for Charge down the stretch.
If Ottawa is playing, the odds are that Emerance Maschmayer is between the pipes. She's played in 16 of the team's 20 games this season, the second-most in the league, collecting a 6-6-3 record. Her .917 save percentage is fourth in the PWHL, while her 2.52 GAA is seventh among the eight qualified goalies. After a hot start, she has allowed 17 goals in her last five starts.
Minnesota Frost
The defending champs started their season on fire, but a rough February has them on the ropes. While they're fourth in the league, they've won once in their last six games. Fortunately, Minnesota knows what being in this spot is like, too. The Frost won the inaugural Walter Cup as the fourth seed in the postseason, knocking off top-seeded Toronto to advance to the finals.
There is star power aplenty on the Frost, led by one of the faces of American women's hockey. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield is tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 18 points. Taylor Heise, another star in the American system, isn't far behind with 17 points as her 12 assists are tied for fifth along with defenseman and teammate Claire Thompson.
If there's one big knock against the Frost, it's their defense. More specifically, it's their penalty kill. The Frost have been short-handed the fewest times of any team in the league, yet they own the league's worst penalty kill at 72.3 percent. They're also the only team without a short-handed goal this season. Their defense is active in the offensive zone, but defending their own end can be a problem.
On paper, Minnesota should have one of the best goalie tandems in the league. Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney split time last season during the regular season and the postseason to lead the crew to a championship. This season, Hensley's struggles have allowed Rooney to take control of the net. She's third in wins (7) while posting a respectable 2.09 GAA and .910 save percentage.
Prediction
Minnesota has to be frustrated with their recent struggles and their embarrassing loss the last time these two squared off. The Frost's offense will come to life in Raleigh, forcing Ottawa to play on their heels. I'm expecting a big game from Taylor Heise. Assuming Emerance Maschmayer is in the net for Ottawa, she could keep it close, but I'm riding with the Frost for a 5-2 victory on Friday night.
Regardless of who wins or loses in Raleigh, this should be a great experience for all who show up to the Lenovo Center in support. I would love to see a PWHL team in The Triangle, though there are much larger markets that are far more likely to get a team before we do. This could be a good test run for the league to see how passionate this area is about hockey, no matter who is on the ice.