Ottawa eliminates Boston Fleet with 4-3 double-OT to clinch Walter Cup series

The PWHL semifinal between Ottawa and Boston ended the hard way — in double overtime, with one mistake deciding everything. Ottawa beat Boston 4-3 on Sunday, May 10, and that win sent the Charge back to the Walter Cup Final for a second straight year. The bigger point is how they did it. Ottawa fell behind 2-0, kept climbing back, and then survived long enough for Michela Cava to finish the series. ### How did Ottawa close it out? Ottawa won Game 4 at home in Kanata when Cava scored 1:12 into the second overtime. That made the semifinal a 3-1 series win in a best-of-five, so there was no Game 5 trip back to Boston. It was the kind of finish playoff hockey keeps producing — one shot, one rebound, one loose defensive moment, and suddenly a season is over. ### Why was this game such a swing? Because Boston had control early. The Fleet led 2-0 in the first period, which is usually the exact script a road team wants in an elimination game. But Ottawa never let the game settle into Boston’s pace. The Charge kept dragging it back to even, and that changed the pressure — Boston went from protecting a lead to trying not to waste one. (thepwhl.com) ### Who drove the comeback? Emily Clark was the big engine. She scored twice for Ottawa, including the goal that tied the game 3-3 in the third period. Tereza Vanišová also scored, and then Cava got the winner. For Boston, the scoring came from a few different places, which is part of why the loss stings — the Fleet generated enough offense to win, but not enough separation to actually put Ottawa away. (thepwhl.com) ### Why does the 2-0 hole matter? Because comeback wins in elimination games tell you something real about a team. Ottawa did not steal this with one lucky bounce late. The Charge recovered in stages. First they stopped the early slide. Then they matched Boston chance for chance. Then they handled two overtime periods without cracking. Basically, Ottawa looked like a team that already understands what deep playoff hockey feels like. (thepwhl.com) ### Was this series actually close? Very. Ottawa won the series 3-1, but the margin was thin almost the whole way. Boston took Game 1 by a 2-1 score. Ottawa answered 3-1 in Game 2, then won Game 3 by another 2-1 score before Sunday’s 4-3 double-overtime finish. That is four games with almost no breathing room. A 3-1 series result can look comfortable on paper, but this one really wasn’t. (thepwhl.com) ### Why is Ottawa back in the final again? Because the Charge have now shown two things contenders need. They can win low-event, one-goal games, and they can survive chaos when a game opens up. That mix matters in a short playoff run. Last year’s trip to the Walter Cup Final gave this group a template. This year’s version looks a little more battle-tested, especially after coming through a semifinal where every game felt tight. (thepwhl.com) ### What does Boston leave with? Mostly frustration, but also proof that the gap was small. The Fleet were right there in every game and led the clincher by two goals. The catch is that playoff series do not reward “almost.” Boston kept ending up on the wrong side of the key moment — late in Game 3, then in double overtime in Game 4. That’s the difference between pushing a favorite and eliminating one. (thepwhl.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? Ottawa did not just advance. The Charge showed they can absorb pressure, recover from a bad start, and finish a series under maximum strain. That is why this result matters more than the bracket line. A team that wins a 4-3 double-overtime clincher after trailing 2-0 does not arrive in the final by accident. (thepwhl.com) (prohockeynews.com)