How Ottawa Charge can get offensive boost from blue line in PWHL semifinal

Ottawa Charge defender Ronja Savolainen celebrates a first-period goal to open the scoring in Game 2 of the PWHL semifinal against the Boston Fleet on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by PWHL /Handout

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The Ottawa Charge has been getting offensive production from some rather unsuspected places in the PWHL postseason, and it’s starting to look like it hasn’t been by accident.

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Those unexpected places? The blue line.

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Through two games in the best-of-five semifinal against the Boston Fleet, a defender has factored into every single one of Ottawa’s four goals while combining for seven shots on net. Twice, the defender was the one to score the goal themselves.

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With the semifinal series now knotted at one game apiece, Ottawa’s blue line may play a bigger role in closing out this series than the coaching staff may have ever expected.

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It’s natural to get a little déjà vu watching the two goals scored by Ottawa defenders in this series. In Game 1, Jocelyne Larocque set up shop right at the top of the crease on the power play and tipped a high shot from Rory Guilday past netminder Aerin Frankel.

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In Ottawa’s 3-1 win in Game 2 on Saturday, it was a different player, but same blueprint on the Charge’s opening goal, as Ronja Savolainen ripped another high shot from the blue line that sliced through traffic and found the back of the net.

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Coming into this series, Ottawa knew solving Team USA’s No. 1 goaltender would be a challenge. The team preached the importance of getting a high volume of shots with traffic in front of the net to take away Frankel’s sightlines.

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Ottawa Charge defender Jocelyne Laroque plays the puck behind the net in Game 2 of the PWHL semifinal against the Boston Fleet on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by PWHL /Handout

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But for a squad that has found much of its success on the rush, executing this kind of net-front hockey may not always come naturally.

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But through the first two games, the Charge had found moments of brilliance sustaining pressure in the offensive zone and has found time to set up plays and plant bodies in front of the net. When that happens, those booming shots from defenders seem to be Frankel’s kryptonite.

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“I think it’s just an approach we’ve been going for just to get past Frankel,” Charge forward Taylor House said after Game 2 when speaking on the similarities between the two goals.

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“I think that net-front presence, getting (Larocque) in there last game and (Brooke) McQuigge in there this game, that’s something we’re really focusing on just to get some pucks on net.”

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At the centre of it all is Larocque, who’s been doing a little bit of everything on Ottawa’s top defensive pairing. Not only is she showing she’s incredibly strong boxing out opponents in Ottawa’s zone, but she’s started jumping into the play and taking some chances offensively.

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So far, the results have paid off. She leads the team in postseason scoring with three points and is logging a team-high 24 minutes a game. It’s a welcome surprise from Ottawa’s most veteran player as she shows no sign of slowing down.

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Behind her, Guilday is also starting to grow into the moment on Ottawa’s blue line, quietly putting up points in both games while starting to lean on her physical edge.

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Ottawa Charge defender Rory Guilday recorded an assist in Game 2 of the PWHL semifinals against the Boston Fleet on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by PWHL /Handout

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Head coach Carla MacLeod has noticed the shift in the 5-foot-11 defender, remarking how “her confidence is catching up to her abilities.