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Emily Clark, Ottawa Charge (Photo by: Josh Kim / Ottawa Charge)

3 Takeaways From the Charge’s 2-1 Triple OT Loss to the Frost in Game 3

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jess Amato | Last updated May 25, 2025 12:45 PM ET

On Saturday, May 24, the Minnesota Frost hosted the Ottawa Charge for Game 3 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup Final. This game went into several overtimes to determine the winner. Ultimately, the Frost won 2-1 in the third overtime. With Minnesota’s win, the Frost now lead the best-of-five series 2-1.

Charge Back at Full Strength

A few hours before Game 3 began, the Charge announced they were activating defender Jincy Roese off of long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Roese had not played since their last regular-season game on May 3. After missing all of the games in the first round of the playoffs and the first two games of the Final, Roese is now back in action.

Roese has been a solid defender for the Charge all season, laying 19 hits in 27 regular-season games. She is one of the Charge’s star defenders, typically spending 22 minutes or more on the ice each game. Although Roese only spent four total minutes on the ice in this game, she did not have enough time to truly make an impact. However, Roese slotting back into the lineup is a huge win for the Charge.

Clark Continues to Shine

Once again, Emily Clark continues to be a standout player in this series. With eight minutes remaining in the first period, Ashton Bell skated the puck around the back of Maddie Rooney’s net. Bell passed the puck to Gabbie Hughes, who was right in front of the net. Hughes took a shot, but Rooney blocked it. Clark was right next to Bell and picked up the rebound. Clark tipped the puck into the top corner of the net to score the first goal of the game.

Looking at the leaderboard for the Charge, Clark has the most points out of any other player on the team in the playoffs. In the seven games the Charge have played in the playoffs, Clark has recorded five points via three goals and two assists. Clark is no stranger to scoring in this series, as she scored the overtime winner in Game 1. There is no denying that Clark has been one of the best players for the Charge in this playoff series.

Charge Need to Keep Special Teams Strong

The Charge had four power-play opportunities throughout this game, including one right before the Frost scored the game-winning goal. Throughout their entire time in the playoffs this season, the Charge have only capitalized on their power-play opportunities once, with Brianne Jenner scoring one in Game 1 of the semi-finals against the Montreal Victoire. Since then, they have not scored any power-play goals in the playoffs.

In the regular season, the Charge had the lowest number of power-play goals in the league, with 11 for the 2024-25 season. However, the Charge had the most short-handed goals in the regular season, with four. While the Charge have strong special teams, their penalty kill is stronger than their power play.

Ottawa also took three penalties in Game 3, giving the Frost three power-play opportunities. Luckily, the Charge kept their penalty kill alive and well, and the Frost only scored at even strength.

Heading into Game 4, the Charge will need to continue to keep their special teams strong. Game 4 is the end-all-be-all for the Charge; if they want to continue on in the Final, they will need to rely on these special teams to hold strong.