Canada's Captain Clutch, Marie-Philip Poulin, delivered on the Olympics once more.
Poulin scored twice, together with her third gold-medal clinching purpose, and Canada reclaimed its place atop the ladies's hockey world by capping its run by means of the Beijing Video games with a 3-2 win over the defending champion United States on Thursday.
Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 38 pictures and Sarah Nurse had a purpose and help in a sport the place the Canadians constructed a 3-0 lead and held on for the win. Nurse set the only event report with 18 factors.
The Canadians completed 7-0 and spent their time in Beijing showcasing a dynamic, deep and relentless offensive assault to seize their fifth Olympic title in seven tournaments, with 4 coming in opposition to the People in what's been one in all sports activities' fiercest and longest-running rivalries.
Simply as importantly, Canada bounced again from a stunning 3-2 shootout gold-medal loss to the U.S. on the 2018 Pyeongchang Video games.
"There's some angel up there. This group makes issues simple celebrating one another's success being on the identical web page, one staff," the Reuters information company quoted Poulin as saying. "Since 2018, now we have been placing within the work and, to be sincere,
to be rewarded with that gold medal right now, was all price it."
"I bought shivers — 2018 was arduous, very, very arduous," Poulin added. "While you take a while to mirror what it is advisable do higher
as a gaggle, personally I did, and it actually pays off. While you encompass your self with good individuals good issues occur."
Canada can now boast holding each the Olympic and world championship titles on the similar time, and for the primary time since 2012. The win at Beijing comes practically six months after Poulin's extra time purpose sealed Canada's 3-2 victory over the U.S. on the worlds, which ended the People' run of profitable 5 consecutive event titles.
Hilary Knight, the People' solely constant menace within the event, scored her team-leading sixth purpose on a shorthanded rush to chop the deficit to 3-1. Amanda Kessel scored with 14 seconds remaining throughout a mad scramble in entrance for a power-play purpose and with the U.S. internet empty for an additional attacker.
The People, who've two Olympic golds, settled for his or her fourth silver medal, with all of the losses coming in opposition to Canada.
Finland shut out Switzerland 4-0 on Wednesday to take bronze.
Poulin continued enjoying as much as the nickname she earned for scoring decisive objectives in large video games — and particularly in opposition to the People. She scored each objectives to seal Canada's 2-0 gold-medal win over the U.S. on the 2010 Vancouver Video games. 4 years later at Sochi, Poulin scored in extra time to seal the gold-medal win over the People once more.
Poulin staked the Canadians to a 2-0 lead with 4:34 left within the first interval, then made it 3-0 off an odd-man rush 9:08 into the second interval.
Knight's purpose with 3:21 left within the second interval supplied the People life, however they have been unable to money in on their possibilities within the third interval.
It has been a protracted and bumpy street again for the Canadians, who have been pressured to reinvent themselves in three years below coach Troy Ryan. The low level adopted Canada settling for bronze on the 2019 world championships, which marked the primary time in event historical past the nation failed to achieve the title sport.
At Beijing, the Canadians out-classed the sector by outscoring opponents by a mixed margin of 57-10, together with a 4-2 win over the U.S. in group play final week.
The U.S. did not have sufficient protection to comprise the Canadians' aggressive forechecking assault, nor the offense to match them, particularly with out prime middle Brianna Decker, who broke her left leg within the event opener.