​NSL Week 22 results: The race for the playoffs is on after Montréal secure their fateThe Northern Super League playoff race is finally under way and getting more uncomfortable by the week.Montréal became the first team to officially clinch a postseason spot after Saturday’s results. That leaves three places still open and five teams chasing them.At the top, Montréal keeps pulling away. Behind them, the table is starting to bunch up.Ottawa jumped back into second with a statement win over Calgary. Toronto slipped to third after drawing Halifax. Vancouver held onto fourth after a whirlwind draw with Montréal.At the bottom sits Calgary. The Wild are not officially out yet but after Sunday’s 3–1 loss to Ottawa, their path has become much narrower.Calgary sit sixth on 14 points, 11 behind fourth-place Vancouver. Five regular season matches remain, meaning the Wild can still reach 29 points if they win every game left with a decent goal difference. Alas, only the top four qualify for the NSL playoffs.But that also means that the door is still open. Calgary no longer controls what happens on the other side of it. Bottom line: they need wins. They’re also going to need help from the teams above them.That is what made Week 22 so important. Every result changed something.Halifax Tides 1–1 AFC TorontoSaturday, September 19, 2026Wanderers Grounds — Halifax, NSToronto needed just 60 seconds to take control.An early corner caused confusion in the Halifax box. Anika Tóth came to deal with it but couldn’t get the contact she wanted, eventually sending the ball into the back of her own net.It was the kind of start that can unravel a team but Halifax refused to let it.The Tides gradually settled. They pushed higher and started testing Sabrina D’Angelo while Toronto continued to look dangerous on the counter. The chances came at both ends but neither side found another goal before halftime.Halifax returned from the break with more fire in their veins. This time, they got their reward. Karima Lemire curled a corner into a dangerous area. Julianne Vallerand attacked it and redirected her header into the net. 1–1.The equalizer changed the rhythm. The game became less about control and more about survival.Tóth made several important saves for Halifax. On the other end, D’Angelo answered for Toronto. Both teams had opportunities to steal all three points, but neither goalkeeper blinked. The points were shared.For Toronto, it meant a missed chance to create more separation in the playoff race. For Halifax, it was another reminder that they are still capable of making things difficult for anyone in front of them.With that result, Halifax remain right in the middle of the playoff fight.Vancouver Rise 2–2 Montréal RosesSaturday, September 19, 2026Swangard Stadium — Burnaby, BCFor 67 minutes, Vancouver and Montréal looked like two teams unwilling to give an inch. What could’ve been viewed as a rather uneventful first half was hardly th