A year ago, the yet-unnamed Frost lost their final five regular-season games and still made the playoffs and won the PWHL's inaugural Walter Cup.

They remain four points behind Ottawa for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games to play. They are five points behind third-place Boston, whom they beat in last year's PWHL finals.

They have been here before.

"Maybe next year we'll find a way to not do that," Frost forward Taylor Heise said. "It was in our sole possession, and it still is."

With 10 players including Heise arriving back midweek from the IIHF world championship in the Czech Republic, the Frost dominated the first period. They outshot 17-6 a New York team that won all three games at Xcel Energy Center this season. They also failed to capitalize on New York's five-minute major penalty for checking Katy Knoll from behind into the boards early in the second period.

The Sirens were eliminated from the playoffs Saturday even though they didn't play. Their main motivation Sunday was to win and secure the PWHL's top draft pick and prove they are no last-place team.

"They came out flying in the first, and we had to absorb that," New York coach Greg Fargo said about the Frost. "If felt like the momentum started to shift in our favor a little more after that [major game-misconduct penalty]. A five-minute kill, a 5-on-3, those are pivotal moments if you can kill it. Your chances of coming out on the other end are strong, and that was the case today."

Not long after that, Taylor Girard's first goal of the season midway through the second period gave the Sirens the game's first goal — and the only one they would need. New York added an empty-netter with 7.8 seconds left.

Girard stripped Frost defender Maggie Flaherty of the puck near the Frost blue line, won the race down the ice before she snapped a shot from low in the slot past goaltender Maddie Rooney at 11:07 of the second period.

A team filled with Olympians, world and collegiate champions, the Frost have scored only one goal in three of their past four games. On Sunday, Sirens goaltender Corinne Schroeder stopped all 33 shots fired her way.

"We have to find a way to score a goal, we just have to," Frost coach Ken Klee said. "Bang one in. Hit one off somebody's shin pad. Do something. Today we couldn't find the back of the net. We've got to find a way. We just have to."

Sunday's game had been moved from Saturday to accommodate the Wild's playoff game at Xcel Energy Center. The Frost entered the game in fifth place, four points back of fourth-place Ottawa and five points behind third-place Boston after both teams won Saturday.

BOXSCORE: New York 2, Frost 0

PWHL standings

Ottawa earned three precious points Saturday when it scored a shorthanded goal with 13 seconds left in regulation time, beating Montreal 3-2 at home.

The three teams aiming for the fourth and final playoff spot all have two games left. The Frost finish their regular season with a trip to Ottawa on Wednesday and Boston on Saturday. That finale at Boston is where the Frost won the Walter Cup in a fifth and final game last May.

"We have to go to Ottawa, play well and win," Klee said. "We have to go to Boston, same thing. It takes it out of our hands a little bit, and we need a little help now. We didn't need help before this game and now we need a little help. But we've got to go in and win."