For obvious reasons, Marie-Philip Poulin is recognized as the undisputed queen of special occasions. However, La Beauceronne is no longer the only one to seem invincible when it matters most.
Ann-Renée Desbiens has accumulated enough success on the international scene to do without introduction.
However, a few hours from the seventh and final game of the Rivalry Series between Canada and the United States, it seems appropriate to recall how much the goalkeeper, in recent years, has been quite simply dominant. Against the Americans in general, and in sensitive matches in particular.
Since returning to the national program in 2019-20, Desbiens has faced the American team 12 times, whether at the World Championships (3 games), the Olympic Games (2) and as part of the Series. rivalry (7). She signed nine victories. On 11 occasions, she allowed two goals or less. His goals-against average was 1.80 and his save percentage was .931.
In the last 18 months alone, she has found herself in goal for three finals – two at the Worlds, one at the Games – each time against the Americans. Verdict: Perfect 3-0-0 record, 1.60 GAA and .941 save percentage.
MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, PRESS ARCHIVES
Ann-Renée Desbiens in front of her net
At the source of these performances, there is obviously an almost flawless technical mastery. “She takes up a lot of space in front of her net, she’s very athletic, she doesn’t give a lot of returns,” lists Élizabeth Giguère, a newcomer to the national team.
Monday night, in the Canadiens’ 5-1 victory in Trois-Rivières, Desbiens received only 15 shots, but clearly stood out with her play outside her semi-circle, showing an extra string to her bow.
“I think she touched the puck more than us,” said Marie-Philip Poulin. She beat the American forecheck multiple times just by passing. “When she finds herself in possession of the disc, “it’s as if there were six of us out of our zone”, abounds Caroline Ouellette, assistant coach of the formation.
Giguère also underlines how imperturbable the Charlevoix native seems. “There are goalkeepers who get stressed before games, while she is really calm. And it shows on the ice,” notes the forward. “She’s funny, she’s engaged; the girls love it,” adds Ouellette.
Trust
Unsurprisingly, Desbiens doesn’t get lost in self-congratulations when discussing her successes in crucial matches.
After her team’s training on Tuesday, she lightly answered questions from the two journalists on site. If the stress tortured her, she hid it resolutely well.
“We all try to approach every game the same way. But I’ll be honest, I had taken this approach before the Olympic final [l’an dernier à Pékin] and I haven’t slept all night! “, she says, laughing.
“No matter how hard we try, we are athletes, we realize what is at stake,” she continues. A game number 7, that’s where we want to end up. »
Wednesday night’s game against the Americans, “it’s not an Olympic gold medal match, but we’re going to approach it the same way, with the same intensity”.
All those who speak of Ann-Renée Desbiens certainly evoke her calm, but also her contagious self-confidence. It allows her to refocus after giving up a goal, but also generally keep a cool head at a time when she is widely seen as the best keeper on the planet.
This presence, however, did not fall from the trees. During her one-year hiatus from the national program, in 2018-2019, the Quebecer became a consultant to goaltenders at the University of Wisconsin, her alma mater. The one who became his first protege, Kristen Campbell, is now one of his assistants on the Canadian team. “We didn’t have a full-time goalie coach,” Campbell recalls. So she brought things from the Team Canada camps, with very structured exercises. »
This experience, believes Caroline Ouellette, gave a new perspective to the now 28-year-old goaltender.
“Sometimes, as an athlete, when you see the other side of the coin, you realize that it’s a lot more difficult than you thought,” notes the forward-turned-coach. It gives a certain maturity. »
Ouellette sees in the outbreak of Desbiens a set of factors. “She learned that she needed to become a better athlete, including off-ice training. She took care of her preparation, her mental skills. […] She has found the consistency it takes to be a starter at this level. It was not given to her, she fully deserved it. »
Wednesday evening, in Laval, in a crowded Place Bell – there are still a few tickets – Ann-Renée Desbiens will have the opportunity to add an additional title to her list. It’s not won in advance, against Americans who will want to avenge their performance in match noh 6, but who will have to figure out how to break through its wall.
Recent history, however, is not on their side. And the sitter will want to make sure it stays that way.