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Rebecca Leslie’s fourth goal of the playoffs has kept the Ottawa Charge’s championship bid alive.
Leslie scored the game winner with 56 seconds left in regulation time on Monday to give the Charge a 2-1 win over the Montreal Victoire to force a Game 4 in the best-of-five Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup final.
The Victoire, with two overtime wins on home ice, lead the best-of-five series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in Ottawa.
Leslie found a Sarah Wozniewicz rebound and fired it through traffic to beat Ann-Renee Desbiens, who made 26 saves.
A challenge was initiated by the central situation for a missed stoppage in play, but after a lengthy review the goal stood, sending the playoff record crowd of 16,894 into a frenzy.
Trailing 1-0 Ottawa tied the game when Peyton Hemp picked up a loose puck and beat a sprawled out Desbiens for her first of the post-season at 14:30 of the third.
Montreal opened the scoring at 7:32 when Maureen Murphy rifled a shot off the back boards and Hayley Scamurra picked up the rebound and beat Gwyneth Philips, who stopped 27 shots.
Ottawa started the third on the power play but generated just one shot.
Rebecca Leslie scores her first game-winning playoff goal with just 56 seconds left to down Montreal. The Charge force a PWHL final Game 4 with the 2-1 win.
Teams exchange chances
The teams exchanged chances minutes later with Hemp trying to beat Desbiens at the side of the net and then Montreal’s Kaitlin Willoughby trying to beat Philips from in close.
The game remained scoreless after 40 minutes.
The Charge had a 90-second two-man advantage early in the second but failed to generate a shot.
Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin had the best chances of the period but couldn’t find a way to beat Philips.
Poulin was called for hooking with 62 seconds remaining in the period, but Ottawa once again struggled to generate scoring chances.
A scoreless first provided plenty of entertainment.
Ottawa got off to a good start in the first period, with strong offensive zone presence and held the advantage on the shot clock, but back-to-back penalties allowed Montreal to gain momentum.
Catherine Dubois had a chance from in close and on Montreal’s second power play Laura Stacey had a great chance in tight but Philips was solid.
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