Poulin wins 3-2 over the US to lead Canada’s women to Olympic gold
BEIJING, (AP) — Marie Philip Poulin brought back memories of her Captain Clutch status. Canada was able to regain its position at the top of women’s hockey.
Poulin was able to deliver at a crucial time for her team by scoring two goals, including her third Olympic gold medal clinching goal. This resulted in Canada’s 3-2 victory over the United States at the Beijing Games.
Poulin won gold at her first Olympics and was able to appreciate the importance of capturing her third, four years after she lost it to the Americans at Pyeongchang.
She said, “I just got the shivers.”
“That 2018, was very difficult, very, very difficult. Poulin said that it is important to take time to think about what you can do better individually and as a team. “We did that, and I’m happy that we were resilient and are able to put the past behind us and win this gold today.
Ann-Rene Desbiens stopped 38 shots, and Sarah Nurse had both a goal and an assist in a game in which the Canadians took a 3-0 lead but held on to win. Nurse holds the single Olympic tournament record for scoring 18 points.
Canadians won 7-0, showcasing a dynamic, deep, and relentless offensive attack to win their fifth Olympic title in seven tournaments. Four of those victories were against the Americans in a sport that has seen some of the most intense and longest-running rivalries.
Canada now holds both the Olympic and the world championship titles simultaneously, for the first time since 2012. Nearly six months have passed since Poulin’s overtime goal secured Canada’s victory at Beijing. This win ended the Americans’ streak of five consecutive tournament titles.
Brianne Jenner was named tournament MVP after she tied a single Olympic record for nine goals. “I believe this group did not shy away from the challenge. We were like, “Let’s not be afraid, let us be brave, let’s see what we can accomplish.”
Hilary Knight, America’s only consistent threat, scored her team-leading sixth goal in a quick rush to reduce the deficit to 3-1. Amanda Kessel scored 13 seconds left in a scramble to score a power-play goal. The U.S. had no extra attacker and the net was empty.
“We cannot achieve that many goals.” Knight stated that it is really difficult to bounce back. “It’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking. … It’s almost as if we have let our country down.”
Alex Cavallini made 18 saves in her fourth tournament start. The Americans, who have two Olympic golds to their name, settled for their fourth medal. All losses were against Canada.
Poulin earned her nickname for scoring decisive goals against the Americans in big games. Both goals were scored in Canada’s 2-0 win over the U.S. at 2010 Vancouver Games. Poulin won the gold again four years later at Sochi.
On Thursday, Poulin led the Canadians to a 2-0 lead at 4:34 in the first period. Then, he made it 3-0 with an odd-man rush at 9:08 in the second period. Nurse drove up to the right wing, feeding Jenner. Cavallini stopped Jenner’s slapper. Poulin took the rebound and immediately shot a shot from the right side of the net, which he banked in off Cavallini’s skate.
“Woo, what’s happening? Poulin stated that she doesn’t know the details of her ability to score clutch goals. “There’s an angel there or some thing.”
Poulin was still anxious before she could celebrate. Kessel’s goal in the final seconds was her first tripping penalty. But she was only there after Desbiens had stopped five of the five shots she faced during power play.
Poulin was able to stand next to Desbiens at the medal line, and had the honor of wrapping the gold around the neck of the goalie.
Poulin said that Desbiens was a “she showed up in these big moments”, referring to Desbiens who had quit hockey after 2018, but was coaxed back into the team. “She kept us in hockey and, to be honest with you, being able (to give) the medal to her was very special.”
Desbiens agreed, noting that she knew the game was over, while looking at the clock, and only 13 seconds after Kessel’s score, she saw the time.
Desbiens replied, “I said, “Oh, we got that,””
Knight’s goal gave the Americans some life, but they couldn’t capitalize on their chances in third period. Five minutes into the game, Alex Carpenter had two chances, but her shot from the left circle missed the crossbar and was then stopped by Desbiens with a partial breakaway.
Kessel was disappointed that her goal came too late.
She said, “We hold ourselves to high standards, and personally, I think my line was we wanted to score more goals.” “We knew we could score sooner and get one or more for our team.
The U.S. did not have enough defense to stop the Canadians’ forechecking attacks, and the offense to match them. This was especially true without top center Brianna decker, who suffered a broken leg in the tournament opener.
With just 30 goals scored on tournament-leading 374 shots, the Americans were seventh among 10 teams for scoring efficiency.
The Canadians have had a difficult and bumpy journey back under coach Troy Ryan. Canada’s bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships was the low point. This was the first time that Canada had failed to win the title game in tournament history.
The Canadians beat the field in Beijing by outscoring their opponents by a combined margin 57-10. They also won group play by 4-2 over the United States.
Rebecca Johnston stated, “Just being in a position to prove ourselves again, being able fight adversity to come back on top.” It’s wonderful to know that our team has been through so much and are able to win.
