High Stakes for Czech Stars as PWHL Playoff Race Reaches Final Day
Three teams enter the final day of the PWHL regular season fighting for two playoff spots – and Czech hockey fans have a lot on the line. Boston, Ottawa, and Minnesota all face do-or-die scenarios on May 3, 2025, with several Czech players’ seasons hanging in the balance. For some of these women, tomorrow could be the last game of the year, adding extra drama and emotion to an intense playoff race.
Boston Fleet: Peslarová’s Moment in Net – and a Goalie Dilemma
The Boston Fleet enter the final day clinging to a playoff position, and much of the Czech attention is on their goaltending. Klára Peslarová, Czechia’s national team goalie, has suddenly become the talk of Boston after stepping up in the season’s last week. Thrust into action due to an injury to starter Aerin Frankel (who has been sidelined with concussion issues).
Peslarová made the most of her long-awaited chance. On April 26, in her first career PWHL start, she stopped all 29 shots she faced to earn a 3–0 shutout over Toronto. The win snapped Boston’s losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive. “I was waiting for this opportunity basically the whole season and it came,” Peslarová said after the game. Riding high off back-to-back stellar outings (she also helped Boston grab a point in an overtime loss to Montreal two days later ), Peslarová had not allowed a goal in nearly 137 minutes of play. Her heroics even made history: she became the first European goaltender to record a shutout in the PWHL.
Now Boston faces a pivotal question: do they start Peslarová again in the must-win finale, or turn back to Frankel if she’s cleared to return? Peslarová has certainly made her case with clutch performances and confidence. “If they have my back, I have theirs,” she told teammates after her shutout, expressing gratitude for the chance. Coach Courtney Kessel will have a tough call in net, ride the hot hand of the Czech rookie, or go with the proven starter Frankel if available. The decision could make or break Boston’s season.
The Fleet will need a strong defensive effort to support whichever goalie gets the nod. Boston can clinch their postseason berth with a win on the final day; if they falter, they risk being overtaken. For Peslarová (and her compatriot Daniela Pejšová), a loss could mean an abrupt end to a season in which she only just got her chance to shine.
Ottawa Charge: Vanišová Leads the Push, Mrázová Back in the Mix
If any team wears its urgency on its sleeve, it’s the Ottawa Charge and two Czech forwards are at the heart of their playoff push. Tereza Vanišová, Ottawa’s dynamic winger, has been nothing short of a spark plug all season. She is Ottawa’s leading scorer with 21 points (15 goals, 6 assists) and has delivered in many clutch moments. Just a few weeks ago, Vanišová exploded for a hat trick in a crucial win, including two goals in a 2-minute span that stunned the opposition. “It always feels good to score goals,” Vanišová said after that game. “I’m just glad we won… now, every game is like a playoff game for us. This win was huge.” That mentality has carried into the final weekend, for Ottawa, every game is essentially a playoff game, and they’ll look to Vanišová to be a difference maker one more time. The Czech winger’s blend of skill and tenacity (she’s known for her aggressive, hard-nosed style as much as her scoring touch) has even earned her comparison to NHL power forwards in some circles. Ottawa will count on that fire as they try to secure their spot; a win on the final day would clinch a postseason berth for the Charge.
Ottawa has also received a timely boost with the return of Kateřina Mrázová from injury. The 32-year-old Czech center had been sidelined for several weeks with an upper-body injury. She was placed on long-term injured reserve after getting hurt on Feb. 13 against Minnesota and missed 11 games. In early April, Mrázová was activated and rejoined the lineup , just in time to help Ottawa’s final push after what was an electric World Championship on home soil.
The hope in Ottawa is that as Mrázová gets back up to game speed, she can elevate her play and provide an extra offensive punch or a key setup on the power play. All eyes will be on whether Mrázová can recapture her form in this high-stakes moment.
As Ottawa prepares to face the formidable Toronto Sceptres on the final day, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Charge just squandered a chance to clinch when they lost their previous game 3–0, missing out on securing a playoff spot. They do not want to rely on outside help. A win is the sure path to keep their season alive . For Vanišová and Mrázová, along with Ottawa’s other Czech star, defender Aneta Tejralová, who anchors the blue line as one of the team’s top D, this is a moment of truth.
She and the rest of the Charge know the feeling of coming up short and are using that as motivation. “It felt like a playoff game. … We just didn’t find our stride,” Coach MacLeod said of the recent loss, but stressed that her team remains confident and “in charge of our destiny”. With Czech firepower up front and renewed focus, Ottawa will leave it all on the ice.
Minnesota Frost: Defending Champs Eye a Miracle
One year ago, the Minnesota Frost were lifting the inaugural Walter Cup as league champions. Fast forward to today, and they are fighting just to sneak into the playoffs and defend that title. The Frost, laden with pride and experience, need nothing less than a small miracle on the final day: they must beat Boston in their finale to have a shot at the postseason. It’s a tall order, but as they showed in their last game, this team is not going down without a fight. Minnesota faced elimination earlier this week and responded with a 3–0 road win in Ottawa, keeping their hopes alive . “We knew we needed three points and had to get a win. We weren’t hiding from it,” said head coach Ken Klee after that do-or-die victory. The Frost played with the urgency of a champion on the brink, and now they’ll need to do it again in Boston.
From a Czech perspective, all eyes in Minnesota are on Denisa Křížová, the Frost’s veteran forward. Křížová was part of last year’s storybook run – she became the first Czech player to hoist the Walter Cup, as Minnesota claimed the title in the league’s first season. Back then, the Frost actually struggled late in the regular season (losing five in a row) and barely qualified, but once in, they ran the table to win the championship. Křížová contributed two goals in that playoff run and brought a steady veteran presence to the team. Now 30 years old, she finds herself in a leadership role once more, trying to inspire a late-season turnaround. Her stats this season (around 8–9 points) don’t jump off the page, but Křížová’s value lies in her experience and clutch instincts. “They’ve been in gold medal games, and obviously getting the Walter Cup last year… you still get excited and nervous, and you know it’s now or never,” Coach Klee said of his veteran core. That description fits Křížová perfectly, she’s played in the biggest moments (including World Championship bronze medal games for Czechia) and understands how to handle pressure.
The question for Minnesota: can they channel that championship pedigree one more time? Fellow leaders like captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and star defender Lee Stecklein (both Team USA stalwarts) will drive the effort on the ice, but a surprise heroine could emerge as well. Perhaps Křížová, one of the few international players on the Frost roster , will rise to the occasion with a timely goal or a veteran play. Another Czech name to watch is Klára Hymlárová, a young forward on the Frost; she’s had a quieter season, but with everything on the line, depth players often have their moments. Minnesota knows from last year that sometimes it’s the unsung heroes (like Křížová was, to an extent) who end up making the difference.
All or Nothing: A Pivotal Day for Czech Women’s Hockey
By Saturday night, the PWHL playoff picture will be set – and several Czech players will either be preparing for the postseason or packing their bags. It’s a day filled with tension, excitement, and emotion.
Yet with pressure comes opportunity. This final day is also a chance for these Czech athletes to leave it all on the ice and perhaps carve another memorable chapter in their careers. Will Klára Peslarová backstop Boston into the playoffs and extend her breakout week? Can Tereza Vanišová or Kateřina Mrázová propel Ottawa to glory and keep their dream alive? Might Denisa Křížová summon one more clutch performance to help the champs stay alive? By the end of May 4, we’ll have the answers. One thing is certain: the stakes are high.
