Women's hockey: Poulin in a very select club

< /p> UPDATE DAY

Marie-Philip Poulin added the icing on the cake by scoring a goal for her 200th point with the Canadian national team, in a 5-1 win to tie the Rivalry Series 3-3 against the Americans on Monday night in Trois-Rivières.

The 31-year-old Quebecer thus became the fifth Maple Leaf player to reach this magic number after Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Danielle Goyette.

In addition, Poulin now has 97 goals on the clock. in 167 games. She could well approach 100 nets on Wednesday evening, since the winners of the confrontation will be known at Place Bell in Laval during the seventh and final duel. 

Nothing surprising, since the scores are often tight between the two powers of women's hockey. In fact, yesterday's game was the first of the series that ended with a difference of more than two goals, the Canadians having led 30 to 15 in terms of shots.

The evening also started strong, as the 4,636 spectators – a record for the Colisée Vidéotron – gave Poulin a standing ovation. 

Marie-Philip Poulin celebrates after scoring the Canadians' fifth goal. The Beauceronne reached the plateau of 200 career points at the same time.

Strong start 

Playing in Quebec for the first time since 2017, the senior Canadian team was quick to establish themselves, attacking insistently and imposing a fast pace at the home of the Trois-Rivières Lions, a club affiliated with the Canadiens in the SCHL.

A penalty to American Rebecca Gilmore for slashing in Canadian territory paved the way for Troy Ryan's troupe, who weren't asking for so much. Well positioned near Aerin Frankel's net, Sarah Nurse completed a play started by Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Johnston. It was only Canada's second goal in 19 power plays since the start of the series.

On the sequence, Poulin came close to collecting her 200th point, which passed the puck to Johnston. But it was only a postponement.

The house announcer did not have time to speak when Laura Stacey scored with a shot into the top corner, to the delight of the fans, who always celebrated the success of Nurse, who wowed the gallery during the NHL All-Star Weekend earlier this month.

In the third period, Kelly Pannek deprived Ann-Renée Desbiens of a shutout, threading the needle on a return to the slot. 

But the Canadians responded quickly to regain a two-goal lead thanks to defenseman Claire Thompson, a play that put American coach John Wroblewski was beside himself.

Jenner then scored into an empty net, before Poulin lifted the arena roof.