More Tereza Vanisova heroics push Ottawa Charge into PWHL playoff spot

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Tereza Vanisova set another PWHL record while pulling the Ottawa Charge from despair to victory Saturday afternoon in St. Louis.

She also pushed her PWHL team into a playoff spot.

With the Charge trailing the Boston Fleet late in a “Takeover Tour” game at the Enterprise Center, Vanisova swatted a puck past goalie Aerin Frankel from the left faceoff circle with 3:34 remaining in the third period.

The Fleet challenged the play, arguing that Vanisova’s stick was too high when it contacted the puck, but, after video review, the ruling on the ice was confirmed and Boston was given a delay of game penalty.

Just 32 seconds into the power play, Vanisova scored again, and the Charge held on for a 2-1 victory.

It was the fastest two goals by one player in league history.

Last Saturday, the 29-year-old Czech became the first PWHLer to record a second hat trick in one season.

“It was tough, for sure, until the third period, and then we got two goals and kept the win,” Vanisova told CBC Gem after her team’s strong response to Tuesday’s third-period collapse against the New York Sirens. “So it was great.”

The regulation time win on Saturday gave the Charge (10-1-4-11) 36 points and possession of the fourth and final playoff spot, one point ahead of the Minnesota Frost (7-5-4-10).

Both teams have four games remaining.

The Sirens are lingering in the race, five points behind Minnesota, which plays the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday, while the Charge trails the third-place Fleet by four points.

Ottawa and Boston meet again on Wednesday at the Tsongas Center, the Lowell, Mass., home of the Fleet.

Vanisova, the reigning PWHL first star of the week, now has 15 goals on the season, tying her with Boston’s Hilary Knight for second the league, two behind Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin.

“I have good linemates, so they make it really easy for me,” Vanisova said when asked about her scoring success.

Of Saturday’s heroics, she added: “The first one was just a shot, and the second one was all (power-play) effort.”

Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips made 27 saves, while Ottawa tested Frankel 31 times.

Philips and Frankel played together at Northeastern University and are teammates with the U.S. national squad.

Also key to the Charge victory was the team’s penalty-killing units, which survived all five short-handed situations.

The Charge had only two power plays.

While the lower bowl at the 18,000-seat home of the St. Louis Blues was full, attendance was just 8,578.

“It was a great atmosphere,” Vanisova said.