(Beijing) The strongest, most dominant and most spectacular Canadian team in women’s Olympic hockey history completed their perfect run by defeating the Americans 3-2 in the final on Thursday to win the gold medal Beijing Games.
Posted at 1:58 a.m.
This victory is the exclamation point of an impeccable fortnight, during which the Canadians scored 57 goals, a Games record. The players celebrated their triumph by throwing their gloves, helmets and sticks as high as possible. They then embraced, before going to greet the many athletes and members of the Canadian delegation who had come to encourage them at the Wukesong Arena.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin, wrapped in a maple leaf flag, was once again sensational when it counted. It was she who showed the way to her teammates. In the middle of the first period, just after a goal disallowed for offside, the Quebecer won a face-off in opposing territory. Claire Thompson recovered the puck, directed it to the net to set up the first goal of the game, that of Sarah Nurse.
A few minutes later, Marie-Philip Poulin performed a magic trick by stealing the puck from Kelly Pannek’s stick paddle, which was initiating an exit zone. Poulin immediately drew, beating goalkeeper Alex Cavallini. Then in the middle of the game, Poulin seized a long return on a shot from Brianna Jenner and found a thin opening to the left of Cavallini, to triple the Canadian lead.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Marie-Philip Poulin (left) scored twice in Canada’s win.
Marie-Philip Poulin thus became the first athlete – male or female – to score at least one goal in four Olympic finals. His two line partners each set Olympic records: Jenner for most goals in a tournament (9), Nurse for most assists (13) and points (18). Sarah Fillier, 21, finished the tournament with eight goals, a record for a rookie. Seeing her play on the same unit as Poulin, on the power play, was a privilege.
The other star of the game was goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. The Great Wall of Charlevoix once again resisted the Americans. She didn’t have to block 51 shots, like in the preliminary game between the two teams, but she still saw a lot of rubber in this final.
The Americans often made it to her semicircle, forcing her to impose herself physically to make key saves. She especially stood out at the start of the third period, against Alex Carpenter (on the breakaway), Abby Roque and Hilary Knight. Only Knight and Amanda Kessel have foiled it. The first in numerical inferiority, during a two-against-two on which Erin Ambrose lost his cover. The second with 12 seconds left in the game, when Desbiens had lost his stick in a scrum. The Quebecer finished the game with 38 saves.
This gold medal is the fifth of Canadian hockey in the history of the Games, after those of Salt Lake City (2002), Turin (2006), Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).