Can Gwyneth Philips recapture last year's playoff MVP form to lead the Ottawa Charge in the playoffs?

Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips looks through a screen in front during the regular-season finale against the Toronto Sceptres at the TD Place Arena on April 25, 2026. Photo by Josh Kim /PWHL

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No team should have more confidence heading into the Professional Women’s Hockey League postseason than the Ottawa Charge.

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Forget the final standings that show the Charge squeaked into the four-team postseason tournament for the Walter Cup as the No. 4 seed, and forget that it took Ottawa until the last day of the regular season to secure the final playoff spot.

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When the Charge begins its pursuit of the coveted championship mug with a road game Thursday night against the Boston Fleet, it will be as the hottest team in the league and with the experience of knowing what it takes to reach the end of the road as heartbroken losers to the Minnesota Frost in last year’s final.

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It will also be with goalie Gwyneth Philips, who was named the PWHL’s playoff MVP just 11 months ago, at the top of her game.

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Philips recorded two shutouts and stopped 130 of 132 shots as the Charge won its last four games to claim the postseason berth.

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Overall this season, she led the league in minutes played while compiling a 16-11-0-1 record, a 2.12 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.

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What did Philips learn from last year’s playoff experience?

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As a rookie puck-stopper who was selected in the third round of the 2024 PWHL draft, Philips was pressed into action as the Ottawa starter on March 11 last year when Emerance Maschmeyer suffered a season-ending injury.

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Forced to start 16 consecutive games after that, she compiled a 9-3-4 record in the regular season and playoffs combined, and went 5-3-0 down the stretch to lead the Charge into a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season (notice a theme?). In the playoffs, Philips made 257 stops (over 100 more than the next-busiest goalie) while posting a 1.23 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage as Ottawa won four games before being eliminated in the best-of-five championship series by the Frost in four games.

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Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips (33) keeps her eyes on the puck during the regular-season finale against the Toronto Sceptres at the TD Place Arena on April 25, 2026. Photo by Josh Kim /PWHL

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Five of the Charge’s eight playoff games went into overtime, with one needing four OT periods and another requiring three OTs to determine a winner.

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“It’s a lot of hockey, and it happens fast,” Philips said of her playoff experience. “If you’re on the Ottawa Charge, you play in a ton of overtime, so you just learn kind of what it takes to be there and to be ready for the next game while performing at your best in the game you’re playing.”

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Did Philips feel more pressure in the playoffs?

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It would be natural as the last line of defence in a game with so much on the line, but Philips wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment.

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“I was still pretty new at the time and just kind of rolling with the punches, just out there having fun,” she said. “I think there should be a little bit more pressure, but we’re all doing what we love and playing for each other.”

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Can Philips take the confidence she gained from last year’s postseason into this year’s playoffs?

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It’s not like she’s spending much time admiring her MVP award.

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“Knowing what playoff hockey is like is really helpful,” said Philips. “But it’s a new year, new season, so I’m trying not to take too much of last year’s run with me this year.”