Why scoring first really matters for the Ottawa Charge in PWHL final

LAVAL, QUE.: May 14, 2026 -- Ottawa Charge players celebrate a goal against the Montréal Victoire during the second period of Game 1 of the Professional Women's Hockey League Walter Cup finals in Laval on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Photo by Evan Buhler /Montreal Gazette

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LAVAL, QUE. – If scoring the first goal of a hockey game has the power to do anything, it injects energy into the building when the home team strikes first and drains it just as quickly when the visitors capitalize instead.

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When Rebecca Leslie buried her own rebound to give the Ottawa Charge the lead in the second period of Game 1 of the Walter Cup final, the latter proved true.

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For a moment, the only sound inside Place Bell was the celebration from the Charge bench as players piled onto Leslie in the corner following her opening goal. Meanwhile, the Montreal crowd sat stunned in silence.

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Sure, a small contingent of Ottawa fans made the trip to Montreal and did their best to make themselves heard. But it’s remarkable how quickly an opening goal can shift the atmosphere inside a building.

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In the end, though, scoring first didn’t work out for Ottawa as it ended up falling 3-2 to Montreal in overtime, giving the Victoire a 1-0 series lead.

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Still, it’s worth remembering that scoring first also didn’t work out for Ottawa in Game 1 of the semifinal series against the Boston Fleet, either. The Charge has been here before: Strike first, lose the lead and suddenly face questions about how to claw its way back into a series.

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But then, remember what happened against Boston? The Charge responded emphatically and opened the scoring in every single game, setting the tone of the semifinal series as it went on to win three straight.

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In fact, the Charge became the first team in PWHL history to score first in its first five games of a single postseason, tying the second-longest streak in league history behind Minnesota’s six-game run during the 2024 playoffs.

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It’s an impressive feat for any team, especially considering the elite goaltending Ottawa has faced in Boston’s Aerin Frankel and Montreal’s Ann-Renee Desbiens.

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Asked after Thursday’s game about her team’s tendency to get on the board first, Charge head coach Carla MacLeod was quick to say that scoring first “gives you a little momentum.”

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But for MacLeod, the more important takeaway is the process behind those goals.

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“It’s the minute details that lead to those moments,” she said. “I think it’s that we’re trying to be physical. Obviously, we get sticks on pucks. We’re trying to get bodies to the net. Our group is all in on how we play.”

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How did Game 1 buck a long-time trend?

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Thursday’s result after Ottawa scored first should be viewed as the exception rather than the beginning of a trend.

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The loss snapped a streak of 10 consecutive games between Montreal and Ottawa in which the team that opened the scoring ultimately emerged victorious. That stretch included all four meetings this season, all four games in last year’s semifinal and the final two regular-season matchups from last year.