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“Being the last line of defence, just being able to be the difference between a win and a loss for your team, ultimately you kind of have that on your responsibility every night to make an impact,” said Campbell after the team’s practice Tuesday.

“I’ve always loved that since I was little, so I always lean into that.”

Campbell and the Sceptres will need that confidence as they look to avenge a first-round collapse last year that began when pc28����lost its best player, league-leading scorer and MVP Natalie Spooner, to a devastating knee injury.

The Sceptres finished the PWHL’s second season as the second seed, guaranteeing home ice advantage until at least the final.

Campbell, who won the league’s goalie of the year award last season, has had an up-and-down season — pushing head coach Troy Ryan to call up backup goalies Raygan Kirk and Carly Jackson to step in at times this year. But she slowly picked up her pace and, despite a modest 9-8-3-1 record and .910 save percentage, she’s upbeat heading into another post-season filled with high expectations.

“Personally, I feel like my game has never been in a better spot,” she said about feeling calm and ready to face what’s ahead.

“I also feel like as a person I’ve grown so much in ways of mentally just getting stronger and more resilient. .”

Part of the growth comes from having been there and knowing what to expect from an opponent that has become all too familiar. Minnesota’s Michela Cava (four goals) and Britta Curl-Salemme (three are among the players who have scored multiple times against the Sceptres this season.

The team is especially aware of how Minnesota likes to strike first, usually scoring in the first few minutes of the game. While the defence can help mitigate that, Campbell is ready to meet the challenge head-on.

“They get a lot of pucks on the net and they try to create second chances,” she said about Minnesota’s attack. “I feel like a strength of mine is my rebound control, just give them no second chances and really taking the momentum away from their top players by making those key saves at the right time.”

Another important lesson the Sceptres learned from last year’s debacle is how quickly the fortunes can turn. Toronto, then the league’s top seed, was up 2-0 in the series when Spooner’s injury happened and the team dropped the subsequent three games.

“The biggest thing is just managing the highs and the lows,” said Campbell. “I don’t think any one single moment loses you a series but I think the quicker you can swing the momentum back in your favour you’re better off.”

Ryan isn’t worried about Campbell’s slow start and any rough stretches she had during the regular season, and he believes she will get the job done as the first option manning the net.

“We’re comfortable in our goaltending,” he said, commending both Kirk and Jackson for stepping in when called upon and helping the team keep its run of success. “I’m confident in all three, if we’ve got to use all three, we’ll have to use all three.”