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Forgive Marie-Philip Poulin for her memory lapse in the moment.
Her focus at the time was on giving her team insurance in the game at hand and not added cushion in the standings of the 2021 PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour: Calgary edition.
But the breakaway goal proved to be more than just a game-winner in the end.
Because it was short-handed, it gave Montreal’s Team Bauer an additional point in the standings — part of the unique return of women’s hockey north of the border in this three-team Canadian tournament.
“To be honest, I didn’t think about that,” said Poulin, moments after Team Bauer’s 3-2 edge of Toronto’s Team Sonnet to kick off the seven-day Calgary stop.
“I was just surprised I was alone on that breakaway,” she continued. “It’s just that when I turned around and saw the bench jumping around more than usual after I scored, I realized that we were getting another point.”
Indeed, the short-handed snipe — a perfect shot by the Team Canada captain top-shelf past Sonnet goaltender Shea Tiley midway late in the third period — counts as more than simply the game-winner because of the tourney’s innovative point-scoring system.
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While it’s traditional in that a regulation win is worth two points and no points are awarded for a loss (unless it comes in overtime or a shootout), a few twists have been added to the tour to give it a fresh look.
It goes like this …
- Regulation win = 2.0 points
- OT win = 1.5 points
- Shootout win = 1.0 points
- OT/Shootout loss = 0.5 points
- Regulation loss = 0 points
- a player scores a hat-trick = 1 team point
- a goalie records a shutout = 1 team point
- a short-handed goal is scored = 1 team point
- team scores 5 or more goals in a game = 1 team point
“It’s exciting,” said 30-year-old Poulin, a two-time Olympic champion with Canada. “It makes things a little more exciting. At the end of the day, you want to play the game the right way. If we have to have those chances to get those extra points, it’s going to be exciting.
“To be honest, we don’t think about those extra points at first, but when it happens, it’s fun.”
Chalk up her forgetfulness to the thrill of the day, as well.
It was, after all, a return to game action since COVID-19 has put the kibosh on women’s hockey — like it has many sports — last March.
“The excitement to just get back on the ice and play with this group has been (building) for quite a while, so just getting out there with the new jerseys and go out and have some fun was quite amazing,” Poulin said. “We were like little kids out there. First game in a while. We all came out with big smiles.”
She’ll get no argument from fellow hockey heroes, also getting a chance to shine in the showcase, which features Team Bauer, Team Sonnet and Calgary’s Team Scotiabank in a round-robin format through Saturday. The teams will then rematch in the same fashion during two more stops — in Toronto and Montreal later this spring — to round out the PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour.
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“It was so fun to be back on the ice,” said Team Sonnet star Sarah Nurse, despite the loss at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex. “I think we were all pretty giddy (Monday) morning because it was the first time we’ve been on the ice playing any games in about 14 months.”
The day didn’t disappoint either.
It went down to the wire between the two out-of-town teams, with Poulin’s shortie being the difference.
After goals from Team Sonnet defenceman Ella Shelton, capping a slick behind-the-net move and pass by teammate Loren Gabel, and Team Bauer blueliner Erin Ambrose, converting a nice power-play shot far-side after taking a beauty cross-ice feed from Jessie Eldridge, the Montreal side scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period. That came when Rebecca Leslie tipped home Ann-Sophie Bettez’s point-shot after Alexandra Labelle won a draw deep in the Toronto end.
A few minutes later, veteran Poulin followed with her breakaway feat following a steal of the puck at her own team’s blueline.
Another Team Canada legend, Natalie Spooner, was able to draw Team Sonnet within a goal when a redirected shot went off her skate in the slot to beat Team Bauer goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, the game’s first star. But it came with just 3.4 seconds left on the clock, so the Montreal crew was able to hang on, getting two points for the win — and the additional point for the short-handed tally by Poulin.
And it will take those three points into Tuesday’s second contest of the tour against Calgary’s Team Scotiabank at Seven Chiefs (3 p.m., Sportsnet NOW).
“I think the points system is a lot of fun,” Nurse added. “We’re always looking for ways to be innovative and have our game be unique. It just creates a little extra layer of competition. Montreal got that extra point (Monday) night.
“We want to be creative and keep people on their toes.”
PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour opens with unique points system in place - Calgary Sun
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