Ottawa Charge chosen by first-place Montreal Victoire for PWHL opening round

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The Ottawa Charge should have some added motivation when entering the PWHL playoffs for the first time this week.

In the determination of first-round opponents on Sunday evening, the standings show the Charge was dealt at least a small amount of disrespect.

Despite finishing in third place, Ottawa will play the No. 1 seed Montreal Victoire in a best-of-five series that begins Thursday at Place Bell in Laval.

The Victoire earned the right to select its opening-round opponent by winning the regular season crown, and opted against facing the fourth-place-finishing Minnesota Frost.

While both Ottawa and Minnesota wound up with 44 points, the Charge had 12 regulation-time victories, the same as Montreal and the second-place Toronto Sceptres.

The Frost won just 10 games in regulation.

The Toronto-Minnesota series starts Wednesday.

Montreal won four of six meetings with Ottawa this season, including a 4-3 shootout victory on opening night in November at Place Bell.

But the Charge won the last two clashes — by scores of 3-1 on Feb. 22 and 3-2 on April 30 — both of which were at TD Place.

The Victoire won four of six games against the Frost.

Montreal did have some sound logic on its side when choosing its first-round opponent.

Last season, Toronto finished atop the regular-season standings and picked Minnesota, which snuck into the playoffs as the fourth-place finisher.

Not only did Minnesota eliminate Toronto, but it also went on to capture the Walter Cup.

By choosing Ottawa, Montreal is also electing a two-hour drive over a two-hour flight for its road playoff games.