PWHL playoff preview: Montreal’s bold choice, Minnesota’s last dance, plus how to watch
The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s third season has come to an end and the postseason officially begins on Thursday night. The top-seeded Montreal Victoire chose to play against the third-place — and two-time defending champion — Minnesota Frost in the first round of the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs, the team announced on Sunday. Since the inaugural PWHL season in 2024, the league has allowed its regular-season champion to select either the No.
3 or No. 4 seed to play in the first round of the playoffs. This year, that meant the Victoire could have their pick between Minnesota and the Ottawa Charge, which clinched the fourth and final playoff spot on the final day of the season.
Ottawa will play the second-seeded Boston Fleet in the series that begins Thursday at the Tsongas Center. Montreal and Minnesota will open their series on Saturday, May 2. Here’s everything you need to know before puck drop.
Montreal’s bold choice It might have come as a shock that Montreal — which has been upset in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons — would opt to play the PWHL’s only champion in this year’s opening round. In Year 1, Minnesota snuck into the playoffs on a five-game losing streak then beat No. 1 Toronto in the first round before winning the first-ever Walter Cup championship.
Minnesota upset Toronto again last season en route to a second straight league title. The Frost enter the postseason on another losing skid, this time a four-game streak, but have proven capable of flipping a switch when it matters most. Not to mention, Minnesota has the most potent offense in the league this season (91 goals) and five of the top 10 scorers, led by Kelly Pannek (33 points in 30 games).
Continue to the original source for the full article.