Stu Cowan: Montreal loses PWHL house opener, however ladies’s hockey wins

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It might have been the right storybook ending.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored early in additional time Saturday on the Verdun Auditorium, showing to provide Montreal a 3-2 win over Boston within the group’s Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League house opener.

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However Boston coach Courtney Kessell ruined it when she referred to as for a video assessment for goalie interference.

The objective didn’t rely after a protracted video assessment and Amanda Pelkey then scored at 2:17 of OT to provide Boston the 3-2 victory in entrance of three,245 followers.

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After a scoreless first interval, Erin Ambrose and Laura Stacey scored within the first 1:02 of the second interval to provide Montreal a 2-0 lead. Boston received objectives from Taylor Girard and Hannah Brandt earlier than the second interval was over to tie the rating. Montreal outshot Boston 11-3 within the third interval, however Boston goalie Aerin Frankel was excellent. She completed the sport with 31 saves as Montreal outshot Boston 33-21.

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Poulin earned the nickname “Captain Clutch” by scoring three “golden objectives” for Staff Canada on the Olympics. It regarded like she had scored one other clutch objective till the video assessment dominated teammate Laura Stacey had interfered with Frankel.

A lot for the storybook ending.

“That’s the writing that we needed this story to finish tonight,” mentioned Stacey, including she felt she was pushed into Frankel. “However I believe, to be trustworthy, this sport, this second is a lot greater than only one objective, one loss — one additional time loss, for that matter. There’s a lot to it. Seeing the younger women, the younger boys, all of the followers within the stands at present who waited so lengthy for this — and so have we. It’s a lot extra than simply that.”

It definitely was.

It began with a protracted, loud ovation because the Montreal gamers have been launched earlier than the sport with the loudest cheer saved for Poulin, who was launched final.

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The hockey was entertaining with up-and-down motion and a few incredible saves from Frankel and Montreal goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens. Whereas open-ice hitting isn’t allowed within the PWHL, there was loads of physicality alongside the boards and in entrance of each nets.

The Verdun Auditorium, in-built 1938, has at all times been an excellent place to observe a hockey sport — even when the previous wood-bench seats aren’t snug. They really add to the appeal of the constructing and there’s not a nasty seat within the enviornment.

There was a celebration environment within the joint all through the sport with numerous younger followers and households in attendance.

Whereas the additional time video assessment was occurring, the followers began chanting “Objective! Objective! Objective!” after which broke into an “Olé! Olé! Olé!” chant earlier than the disappointing choice was introduced.

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Stacey mentioned fan response in the course of the video assessment was her most memorable second of the sport.

“What an ending that might have been in the event that they got here out and truly mentioned: ‘Objective,’” she mentioned.

Certainly.

Poulin mentioned having the followers stick round after the disappointing end to provide the gamers a last spherical of applause meant quite a bit.

“Having the folks nonetheless within the stands while you lose, it says quite a bit,” she mentioned. “You’ll be able to win and have the folks behind you. However while you lose and you’ve got the folks cheering in Montreal it is vitally particular. Clearly, you needed that win. We went via loads of feelings there.”

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Whereas Montreal didn’t win, this sport definitely helped promote the PWHA product. Throughout an autograph session after the sport, Stacey mentioned followers have been telling her: “I’m coming again.”

“That’s what we need to hear,” Stacey mentioned. “Now we have skilled and performed and needed this for therefore lengthy and to get that many individuals in right here seeing it, hopefully they’re all going to need to come again — similar to we wish them to.”

It was an historic and memorable sport for everybody within the enviornment and it’s one thing the 32-year-old Poulin couldn’t have dreamed of as a younger woman who idolized former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu whereas rising up in Beauceville as a result of there have been no skilled feminine hockey gamers to look as much as. The minimal wage for the 24-game PWHL season is $35,000 and 6 gamers have to be paid a minimal of $80,000. The group’s common wage have to be $55,000.

“For me, I used to be in a position to dream to be a part of the nationwide group, however now it’s greater than that,” Poulin mentioned. “You’re a part of knowledgeable league. There’s six groups proper now (Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, New York and Minnesota). We hope that it’s going to develop much more — and why not? Whenever you’re little boys, you’re allowed to dream to be a part of the NHL. However now, while you’re a bit of woman, you’re allowed and you may dream to be a part of the PWHL.

“I believe being a job mannequin for these little women, it’s unbelievable,” Poulin added. “If I had been in these footwear (as a bit of woman) I believe the sky would have been the restrict much more. With the ability to make them dream even greater.”

These women can now dream about scoring an additional time objective within the PWHA.

Hopefully, it’s one that really counts.

scowan@postmedia.com

twiter.com/StuCowan1

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