Inside Ottawa Charge’s Bold Playbook: How They Defied the Odds to Build a PWHL Powerhouse in an Unlikely Market
There have been other moments where new faces have excelled in the playoffs. Mannon McMahon, a late-round draft pick last summer, scored the winner in Game 3 of the semifinals and has fit in well on Ottawa’s shutdown line alongside Emily Clark and Gabbie Hughes. Free-agent signing Alexa Vasko hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet yet in the playoffs, but she was blocking plenty of point-blank shots on Tuesday night.
None of this should be viewed as any real slight against Ottawa’s foundational players, either. Emily Clark has scored back-to-back game-winners and leads the team in scoring. Jenner is tied for second. Even Hirshfeld won’t take the credit, saying it’s a confluence of factors that has gotten the team to the Finals and that the players deserve a lot of credit for jelling at the right time. And frankly, that original group missed the playoffs last season, finishing one point behind Minnesota after a loss on the final day of the season.
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