Key Takeaways: Ottawa Thoroughly Outplayed In Loss To Toronto

In the second meeting between the Ottawa Charge and Toronto Sceptres since completing their blockbuster trade on Dec. 30, the Charge lost 4-2 at TD Place.

Sceptres additions Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra were warmly welcomed back by Charge fans, while newly-acquired Ottawa pieces Victoria Bach and Jocelyn Larocque saw their old teammates once again.

The Charge won the first two games of the season series, and they’ve won five of their eight all-time meetings with Toronto. Their run of fortune ran out in this most recent installment, as they were outshot by a whopping 39-24 margin. The low score betrayed what happened on the ice.

“We weren't even tonight with Toronto,” Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod said. “They outplayed us, they deserved that win.”

Ottawa’s record fell to fourth place in the PWHL standings with just four wins in their 10 games played. However, they’ve been winners in three of their last five games.

Too Much Rubber On Maschmeyer

Emerance Machmeyer is once again the workhorse she was last season for Ottawa, and her team didn’t pick up the slack against Toronto.

“If we don’t have Masch in net, we’re in some trouble,” MacLeod said. “We just didn't ever collectively click, and that's what hurt us in this game.”

The team also let their goaltender down at the most inopportune moments. An agregious defensive lapse by Ronja Savolainen cost Ottawa late in the game. Taking possession in her zone, Savolainen bobbled the puck at the top of the circle right onto the tape of Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull, who raced past Savolainen and pulled a nifty move to tuck the puck through the legs of Emerance Maschmeyer.

The other problem, of course, is not enough rubber going the other way. Ottawa has struggled throughout the season to consistently generate shots. Bach’s second-period goal came on a fluke play from behind the net where Toronto goaltender Kristen Campbell simply didn’t see the puck.

“You look at that, you just never known this game,” MacLeod said. “It's a goofy game. You can get goofy goals and so we don't always have to look for the grade-A, sometimes you just do the simple play and crash a net.”

New Addition Bach Developing Chemistry With McMahon

If there was one positive to pull from the wreckage for Ottawa, it was the emerging chemistry between Victoria Bach and rookie Mannon McMahon. They combined for the Charge’s only goals, and they were arguably their only dangerous forwards on this occasion.

“Obviously we would have liked the results to have been different today, but I'm really enjoying my time here,” Bach said. “Getting to build chemistry with my linemates and the team as well.”

Bach has only played four games for the Charge since being dealt, but she has led the team since then with two goals and four points. Many declared Toronto the runaway winner of the seismic trade, but so far it’s been Bach who’s been the biggest standout.

Quebec City Reset

After a long string of road games due to the world juniors being hosted at TD Place, the Charge enjoyed a two-game homestand before they head right back out, this time to Quebec City for the latest edition of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour against the Montreal Victoire. The special event is an opportunity to reset 10 games into the season and solidify the team’s identity, MacLeod said.

“For us, it's now that reset moment of ‘How do we go into these next five (games)?’” MacLeod said. “You're growing in your first 10 games, but in your next 10, you really have to make sure you know what your identity is and start to establish it, because then those final 10 is a push.”

Quebec City promises an electric crowd for the Takeover Tour game, as its Videotron Centre is sold out for the Jan. 19 matchup.