There was a loud cheer on the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Enviornment on Monday when Marie-Philip Poulin returned to the bench after hobbling down the tunnel, clearly in ache, simply minutes earlier.
However Captain Canada, who’s scored game-winning objectives in three Olympic gold medal finals, didn’t return to the bench within the second interval, and he or she didn’t return to the ice for the remainder of the round-robin recreation in opposition to Czechia.
Discuss an infinite blow to the defending champions: Canada might have misplaced essentially the most clutch performer in Olympic hockey historical past.
Fingers are actually crossed, not solely throughout Canada, however all through the hockey world, that Poulin will return to motion in what’s her fifth Winter Video games.
The captain’s exit from the sport marred a dominant efficiency for Canada over Czechia within the first-ever Olympic assembly between the groups, a 5-1 win that noticed Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens make 18 saves to stay undefeated in her profession on the Olympics.
By means of simply 20 minutes, Canada led 4-0 and compelled Czechia to make a goalie change. Kristin O’Neill acquired Canada on the board first, Sarah Fillier scored what stood up because the game-winner, Laura Stacey made it 3-0, and Julia Gosling scored back-to-back objectives on the power-play to tempo Canada’s offence.
Listed below are our takeaways from the sport that improves Canada’s report to 2-0 forward of Tuesday’s match-up in opposition to the rival Individuals, a recreation which will or might not embrace Poulin.
Will Captain Clutch return?
This recreation leaves that large query hanging within the air. The severity of Poulin’s injury is unknown, however the captain hit the boards awkwardly after Kristýna Kaltounková checked her into them within the first interval.
Poulin took her time getting up, then left the ice with out placing a lot stress on her proper leg. She hopped again onto the bench and sat there grimacing in apparent ache.
Kaltounková was penalized for an unlawful hit, and later within the ensuing energy play, Poulin returned to the ice, however made only one cross and gingerly headed again to the bench after 10-or-so seconds of play. Then she headed down the tunnel together with the workforce physician, once more placing little or no weight on that proper aspect.
With simply over a minute to go, the captain returned to the bench, and the group roared. Poulin smiled and sat together with her teammates, however didn’t return to the ice, and didn’t return to the bench or ice for the second or third intervals.
Canada responded shortly after their captain was taken out of the sport: Emma Maltais, who was elevated to the highest line alongside Poulin and Stacey, instantly went after Kaltounková and was restrained by officers.
And never lengthy after Poulin left the sport, Stacey, her spouse and traditional linemate, scored to make it 3-0 Canada, choosing up a magnificence cross-ice cross from Maltais and sending a wrist shot high shelf, glove aspect.
Natalie Spooner took Poulin’s spot on that high line, and simply earlier than the third interval, Group Canada introduced Poulin wouldn’t be again.
Poulin has scored 17 occasions on the Olympics, and he or she’s one aim away from tying the all-time report held by Hayley Wickenheiser.
As Renata Quick instructed CBC Sports activities’ Claire Hanna forward of the third interval, of the workforce’s captain: “She’s irreplaceable.”
Czechia had slightly greater than a minute with a two-player benefit early within the first after Stacey took a tripping penalty and Renata Quick joined her within the penalty field quickly after for an unlawful hit.
On the following energy play, Czechia hit a submit and had some probabilities, however couldn’t beat Desbiens. O’Neill was on the market for the penalty kill, and simply after Quick acquired out of the field, the defender confirmed her unbelievable velocity and led a rush up ice, her backhand offering a juicy rebound for O’Neill, who banged it house for her first-ever Olympic aim at her first-ever Video games, giving Canada the 1-0 lead simply 5:44 into the primary.
Poulin was on the market for the five-on-three for Canada. She blocked a shot, then cleared the puck and sped off the ice. The captain’s worth for her workforce extends far past simply goal-scoring.
Gosling’s specialty made crystal clear
Olympic rookie Julia Gosling was able to play no matter function she may for Canada in Milano, and heading into the Video games, she questioned whether or not she’d be a fourth-liner or a power-play specialist. She’s confirmed to do each exceptionally properly within the early goings for Canada.
Gosling potted her second and third objectives of those Olympics, and all three have come on the facility play. She’s utilizing her five-foot-ten body and scoring contact, and her three objectives via two video games rank her second total in event scoring, behind solely Sweden’s Thea Johansson, who’s performed three video games in comparison with Gosling’s two.
Kaltounková within the highlight
After she took out Poulin, No. 98 for Czechia had a large goal on her again. Gosling had the most important hit on Kaltounková, sending her to the ice within the second interval.
And Canada largely managed to close Kaltounková down. The 23-year-old leads the PWHL with 11 objectives in 16 video games with the New York Sirens, and she had loads of probabilities on Monday, together with on the facility play within the second interval, when veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque helped out Desbiens and made a save herself.
It was on the facility play within the third interval when Kaltounková fired a shot on Desbiens, and Natalie Mlynkova jumped on the rebound to get Czechia on the board.
The No. 1 decide within the 2025 PWHL draft, Kaltounková has a aim and an help via 4 video games in her Olympic debut.
She additionally performs a giant function within the physicality that defines her workforce, and on Monday, she took two penalties for unlawful hits within the first interval. The primary was on Poulin and the second was on Fillier, one other certainly one of Canada’s most harmful scoring threats.
On Tuesday at 2:10 pm ET, the game’s finest rivalry hits the ice as Canada faces Group USA. Whereas Canada is the defending Olympic champion, the Individuals gained the final 4 head-to-head match-ups late final yr within the Rivalry Collection, in order that they’re the favourites in Milano.
If Poulin isn’t within the recreation, attempt to not learn an excessive amount of into that: Canada will little question be attempting to relaxation the captain, if she’s capable of return to the ice, for the playoff rounds.
Canada winds up round-robin play on Thursday at 8:30 am ET in opposition to Finland.
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