Ottawa Charge blow three-goal lead while outshot 18-0 in third period of crushing PWHL loss

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The Ottawa Charge was one period from moving into a PWHL playoff spot when the roof collapsed Tuesday night.

Leading the New York Sirens 3-0 with less than 20 minutes to go, the Charge surrendered three goals in a span of 6:18 and then two more within 1:15 in losing 6-3 before 5,707 disbelieving fans at TD Place.

Ottawa was outshot 18-0 in the third.

Brooke Hobson started New York’s six-goal third period uprising and spoiled Gwyneth Philips’ bid for a shutout at 1:25 of the third period, and Sarah Fillier converted a power play opportunity three minutes later to narrow the gap.

Jade Downie-Landry tied the score by deflecting a point shot with one second left on a penalty to Ottawa’s Danielle Serdachny and put the visitors ahead 3:26 later on a slap shot from the slot after a defensive zone giveaway.

Fillier capitalized on another turnover 1:15 later to put the visitors ahead by two, and Alex Carpenter added her 10th of the season into an empty net with 2:06 left to secure the win.

At 9-4-1-11, Ottawa remains two points behind the fourth-place Minnesota Frost, which also has five games left, and just three up on the Sirens.

Rebecca Leslie kicked-started the Charge attack with an opening period shorthanded effort that marked her first professional goal for her hometown team.

Emily Clark and captain Brianne Jenner had the other Ottawa goals.

The final shots count favoured the Sirens, 34-18.

The Charge was being outshot 8-2 when Leslie broke the ice by intercepting a pass near the New York blue line and skating in to beat Kayle Osborne with a shot over her catching glove.

Less than six minutes later, Clark scored her ninth of the season off a net front scramble, with Mannon McMahon and Gabbie Hughes picking up the assists.

Jenner notched her fifth of the season, and third in the last four games, with the lone goal of the second period on a wrist shot from the slot that went off a defender’s stick and over Osborne’s shoulder.

The Charge has two road games left against the Boston Fleet (a “Takeover Tour” tilt in St. Louis on Saturday, and Wednesday, April 2, at the Fleet’s Tsongas Center home in Lowell, Mass.) before a three-week break for the world women’s hockey championship.

Ottawa wraps up its schedule with home games against Montreal (April 26) and Minnesota (April 30) before the regular season finale in Toronto on May 3.