PWHL Players of the Week: Watts and Harmon power Ottawa, Toronto’s Howe surprises

A couple of players put in big-time performances in another short week of games. Some were expected, and another caught many of us by surprise.

Let’s get to it:

Daryl Watts (F, Ottawa)

Here’s the situation: You have a home game against the best and hottest team in the league. What do you do?

If you’re Daryl Watts, you have the best game of your professional career.

The former Patty Kazmaier finalist scored a hat trick against Toronto on Saturday, the first in Ottawa’s history.

Her second goal ended up being the game-winner in a 5-3 victory, snapping Toronto’s 11-game win streak.

With the big outing, the former member of the Toronto Six catapulted herself into a tie for third in the PWHL in goals (8) with Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin and New York’s Alex Carpenter. If Watts can continue to use her tenacity and skill, she will be a massive reason why Ottawa gets into the playoffs.

Watts is now third on the team in scoring, sitting behind Katerina Mrazova (17) and Brianne Jenner (15) with 13 points in 19 games played.

Savannah Harmon (D, Ottawa)

Another player who is having an impact on Ottawa’s success this season is Savannah Harmon.

Ottawa’s first pick in the PWHL Draft assisted on Watts’ first two goals on Saturday, the first time Harmon has put up two points in a single game this season.

It was the former Clarkson product’s first points since Feb. 28, but her impact comes at both ends of the rink. She is consistently put up against the opposing team’s best lines and can flourish when the situation arises.

After Saturday’s win over Toronto, Harmon is tied for fifth in scoring among blueliners with nine points in 19 games.

Erica Howe (G, Toronto)

The way this season has gone, it has been Kristen Campbell’s net in the Six – and no one else’s. However, last Wednesday against Boston, head coach Troy Ryan finally decided to give Campbell the night off for the first time in 11 games.

That led to Erica Howe getting just her second start of the season. Yet, you would be unable to tell the former Markham Thunder netminder had not played in almost two months. She stopped 28 of the 29 shots she faced, helping Toronto extend its win streak to 11 games with a 2-1 win.

I was clamoring for the 32-year-old to get more of an opportunity when Campbell struggled earlier in the season, but it was hard to get Howe into some game action once Campbell and the rest of the team got hot.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still Campbell’s net, but the performance from Howe gives Ryan the ability to rest Campbell down the stretch once Toronto locks in a playoff spot.

In three appearances this season, the former PWHPA mainstay is 1-1-0 with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.