Natalie Spooner leads Toronto to 5
TORONTO (AP) — Natalie Spooner scored twice in Toronto’s 5-2 win over Ottawa in the league’s regular-season finale on Sunday night.
Ottawa’s playoff hopes in the PWHL’s inaugural season were crushed by the loss as the club needed a regulation win to reach the postseason.
Spooner scored a go-ahead goal for Toronto with 5:43 left in the third period.
She finished the regular season atop the PWHL leaderboard in points (27) and goals (20).
Sarah Nurse also scored for Toronto and Victoria Bach and Samantha Cogan added empty-net goals. Goalie Kristen Campbell made 41 saves in the win.
Toronto had already secured first place and has a choice of semifinal opponent between third-place Boston and fourth-place Minnesota.
Toronto opens its first-round series Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Montreal finished second and starts playoffs Thursday at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.