PWHL Boston Playoff Clinching Scenarios Entering Pivotal Weekend

With one game remaining in the regular season, PWHL Boston is under pressure.

If Boston wants to keep its playoff hopes alive, the franchise needs to win in regulation or overtime or at least earn a point with an overtime loss to put the pressure back on PWHL Ottawa.

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Boston is tied with Ottawa with 32 points for the fourth and final playoff spot in the PWHL's inaugural season. However, Ottawa owns the tiebreaker with eight regulation wins on the season, while Boston has seven.

If Boston earns points against Montreal on Saturday afternoon, Ottawa will need to match the effort in its final game of the season against Toronto on Sunday.

Of the two games, Boston is the only franchise with home-ice advantage heading into the final weekend, with its game at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass. Ottawa will have to travel into enemy territory to take on Toronto at Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Boston has faced Montreal three times this season and has skated away with three of the possible nine points in those games. Boston earned a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 13, a 2-1 overtime loss on Feb. 4, and a 3-1 regulation loss on March 2.

Ottawa has met Toronto four times this season and is 3-0-0-1 against the powerhouse. Ottawa had the chance to clinch the final spot but fell short with a 4-3 to New York on Tuesday, keeping Boston's slim chances of making the postseason alive.

The PWHL postseason will begin on May 8, and Toronto and Montreal are tied at the top of the standings with 41 points each. Once the final standings are confirmed, the top-seeded team will have a 24-hour window to select its semifinal opponent, choosing between the third- and fourth-place teams.

New York's victory over Ottawa secured the first overall pick for the Big Apple franchise in the 2024 PWHL draft. If Boston ends up missing the playoffs, the franchise would secure the second pick in the draft.

The 2024 PWHL Draft in Minnesota will consist of 42 picks made over seven rounds. Dates and times are to be determined.