Poulin Sends La Victoire De Montréal to Final with Tuesday Winner
Marie-Philip Poulin delivered la victoire de montréal its ticket to the LPHF final on Tuesday, scoring the winning goal while still working through a right knee injury. Montréal now reaches the championship round with its captain still deciding games even when she is not at full strength.
Poulin’s playoff finishing touch
Poulin had already shown the same edge in the second game against the Minnesota Frost, when she scored in third overtime. On Tuesday, she finished the job again and pushed Montréal into the final round.
The forward is not at 100 percent. She aggravated a right knee injury in March, after first suffering it at the Olympic Games, and has still produced five points in the playoffs.
Cheverie and Desbiens on Poulin
Kori Cheverie said Poulin is the best player in the world, and added that she plays less than usual but still finds a way to score in crucial moments. Cheverie also said she does not fear pain and sacrifices her body because all she wants is to win.
Ann-Renée Desbiens was even more direct. She said every practice feels like an Olympic final for Poulin, called her a legend, and described her as the only “Capitaine Clutch.”
Those descriptions fit the numbers. While Fanuza Kadirova also had five playoff points at the time of the article, Poulin’s goals came in the biggest moments and carried Montréal through its toughest stretches.
Ottawa gets the first test
Montréal was preparing for the first game against the Charge of Ottawa on Wednesday, with Carla MacLeod pointing to Ottawa’s own forward group and saying, “La bonne nouvelle, c’est que nous avons aussi de très bonnes attaquantes.”
MacLeod also said she knew Brianne Jenner well because they had played together for Team Canada for a long time, and Jenner said of Montréal’s captain, “On se connaît très bien. J’ai beaucoup de respect pour nos adversaires, elles sont rapides et tenaces.” Before the final, Poulin had not scored in two games against Ottawa this season, but she had still helped Montréal win two of its three meetings, including the club’s only season win over Ottawa in overtime.
For Montréal, the final now runs through a player who is still managing pain and still finishing games. That combination has already carried the Victoire past Minnesota, and it is the reason Ottawa opens the series facing the league’s most dangerous late-game scorer.
