Marie-Philip Poulin Sends Montreal to Walter Cup Final
Marie-Philip Poulin scored the goal that sent Montreal Victoire into the walter cup Final, setting up the first all-Canadian championship series in the PWHL. Montreal will face Ottawa Charge, and the winner later this month will be the first team besides Minnesota to lift the trophy.
Poulin’s goal ended Montreal’s semifinal against the two-time defending champions from Minnesota, while Ottawa pushed past the second-seeded Fleet to reach the final. Montreal and Ottawa open a best-of-five series on Thursday at Place Bell in Laval, Que.
Montreal’s path through Minnesota
Montreal’s breakthrough came in Game 5, when Poulin decided the series despite playing with a right knee that is not at 100 per cent. She missed 10 games late in the regular season with the same injury, yet she chipped in on every Montreal goal in Game 5 and scored the winner in two of the club’s semifinal victories.
The semifinal was not a smooth climb. Game 5 was delayed one day because of illness, and some Montreal players were reportedly affected before the deciding game. Ann-Renée Desbiens then backed up the finish with a shutout against Minnesota, helping Montreal finish off the two-time champions.
Ottawa Charge’s return
Ottawa arrives with a different recent memory. The Charge reached the Walter Cup Final last season and lost to Minnesota in four games, with all four going to extra time. Gwyneth Philips posted a.951 save percentage in the postseason and was named playoff MVP last season despite that loss.
The regular season gave Montreal a clear edge in this matchup. The Victoire won three of four meetings against Ottawa, and the Charge’s lone victory came in overtime. Montreal also became the first top seed to win a playoff series, a result that carried through the bracket and turned this final into a Canadian matchup for the first time.
That leaves the sport with a clean finish line: later this month, the Walter Cup will be awarded for the third time, and the Minnesota Frost will not be on the stage for it. Ottawa’s run back to the final and Montreal’s series win over Minnesota guarantee that a Canadian team will finally own the trophy.
