The Backcheck

A look back at the week that was in the PWHL

It was a welcome sight Thursday to see Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod return to the bench at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. After missing Tuesday’s Walter Cup rematch against the Minnesota Frost following an oncology consult, the head coach was given a standing ovation from the crowd on what happened to be the Toronto Sceptres’ “Stick It To Cancer Night.” MacLeod also received a standing ovation in her absence at TD Place Arena two nights previous. The two-time Olympic gold medal winner from Spruce Grove, Alta., announced last Saturday she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Following Thursday’s game, Sceptres players lined up to give her a hug. Despite the Charge dropping both games — 5-1 to the Frost and 3-1 to the Sceptres — the warm return of MacLeod showed how much sport has the ability to inspire and bring people together. Here’s to wishing the coach nothing but the best.

Now, let’s look at other storylines around the PWHL from Week 2.

Highlight(s) of the week

Speaking of the Charge dropping its Tuesday game against the Frost, Minnesota goaltender Nicole Hensley stood on her head in the contest. Ottawa ended up outshooting Minnesota, but only managed to get one shot past Hensley’s pads — Rory Guilday netting a power-play goal early in the third period. Not only did Hensley keep the Frost in the game, she robbed Ottawa continuously throughout the night.

Hensley’s performance was so good it nearly overshadowed Kendall Coyne Schofield’s stellar night. Coyne Schofield finished with a hat trick, scoring her first just 24 seconds into the game.

Spooner nets first goal

Natalie Spooner officially scored her first goal of the season, netting the go-ahead goal Thursday night against Ottawa. The Sceptres’ forward missed much of last season following ACL surgery after getting injured in the PWHL’s inaugural playoff run and has been looking to regain her MVP form.

Sceptres to host Goldeneyes

It was announced Thursday that the third annual “Battle on Bay Street” is set for Jan. 17 at Scotiabank Arena. The Sceptres will host the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes in a pre-Olympics clash. The last two battles drew sellout crows of 19,000-plus fans.

Game to watch in Week 3

With the Boston Fleet remaining the only undefeated team in the league, Sunday’s matinee matchup between the Fleet and the Frost will be one to watch. The Frost have leap-frogged their way to third overall in the standings after starting the season off in the basement. Especially with Hensley’s performance against Ottawa Thursday, Minnesota has a fighting chance to spoil Boston’s perfect record. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. CT (Sportsnet).

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