Toronto has a day to pick playoff opponent
Team to discuss decision between Boston, Minnesota
The final buzzer sounded at 9:43 p.m. and the 24-hour countdown began.
Toronto has a deadline of the same time Monday to select its opponent in the first round of the PWHL playoffs. Its options were finalized Sunday night with a 5-2 win over Ottawa in the season finale.
Had Ottawa won in regulation, it would have rocketed up the standings and clinched the third seed. Instead, its inaugural season came to an end.
Now, Toronto’s choice — one that could play an outsized role in how this team’s season ends — is between Boston, in third place, or Minnesota, in fourth.
And what will factor into Toronto’s decision?
“I don’t know yet,” said forward Natalie Spooner, Toronto’s leading scorer. “I’m sure we’ll talk about it at practice … Who knows? We’ll figure it out.”
The players will likely have some input.
“Our coaching staff is pretty in tune with the players and I’m sure there’ll be conversations back and forth,” Spooner said.
In Boston, Toronto would face a team it beat 3-2 in the season series and outscored 13-10. But Boston won four of its last five regularseason games coming out of the three-week long international break in April.
The surge has been powered by Alina Müller, who scored in both of Boston’s last two games, and captain Hilary Knight.
In Minnesota, Toronto would face the opposite. Minnesota has hit a wall since the international break, losing its final five games, one against every team in the league. Minnesota has not won since March 24 against Montreal.
Before that, Minnesota was on a roll. It won five in a row before the break and at one point sat atop the league standings.
Toronto is entering the playoffs hot, riding a four-game winning streak. Its last loss was April 18 against prospective opponent Boston.
Spooner started the scoring Sunday 65 seconds into the first period. After Ottawa’s Gabbie Hughes scored halfway through the first, Nurse gave Toronto the lead again a minute later.
Ottawa’s Daryl Watts tied the game 2-2 in the second period and the score stayed static until Spooner scored again with five minutes left in the third. It was her 20th goal and 27th point — both the most in the league.
Victoria Bach and Samantha Cogan scored empty-netters in the final three minutes to put the finishing touches on Toronto’s regular season, and perhaps the team’s last game at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
The game itself didn’t matter much for Toronto, which clinched the top seed last week and had long since secured a spot in the playoffs. But, by beating Ottawa, Toronto cemented its first-round options.
If Ottawa had made the cut, Toronto would have plenty of reasons to not choose their Ontario rival in the playoffs. Ottawa won three of its four games against Toronto before Sunday.
It’s a moot point now. Toronto will open the playoffs Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum against either Boston or Minnesota. Tickets go on sale Monday at 4 p.m. and, after Toronto sold out the entire regular season at Mattamy Athletic Centre, it’s guaranteed to be loud.
The only thing not guaranteed is who Toronto will play.