Ann-Renée Desbiens’ stellar performance leads PWHL Montreal to a 2-1 overtime win against Ottawa.
Ann-Renée Desbiens’ stellar performance leads PWHL Montreal to a 2-1 overtime win against Ottawa.
Ann-Renée Desbiens showcased near-perfect goaltending on Saturday afternoon at Place Bell in Laval, Que. For a second consecutive game, Desbiens faced nearly 40 shots, stopping 43 of 44 in PWHL Montreal’s 2-1 overtime win against Ottawa.
“Our goalies are good,” head coach Kori Cheverie said with a smile. “We continuously find a way even when things are hard, even when there’s a ton of shots.”
Whistles were few and far between in the early stages of the first period, as both teams displayed offensive firepower at opposite ends of the ice. Montreal’s Laura Stacey broke the silence at the 13:37 mark, staving off Ottawa’s defence for a wraparound goal.
The second period featured plenty of turnovers, resulting in one that led to a Stacey penalty shot and another that allowed Marie-Philip Poulin to set up a tic-tac-toe passing play. However, it was Desbiens who stole the show, holding Ottawa scoreless despite an abundance of scoring chances.
“I think [Elaine] Chuli and I both love it,” Desbiens said about the high volume of shots. “You feel good when they have those scoring chances, and you make it look so easy.”
An unlucky bounce at 6:10 in the third period put an end to Desbiens’ shutout, after Ottawa forward Hayley Scamurra solved the star goalie with a fluky shot on the power play to force the game into overtime.
Moments before the extra frame, 8,646 fans, the highest attendance at a Canadian women’s professional hockey game, gave Desbiens a standing ovation while she was being shown on the scoreboard.
“It gives you goosebumps,” Desbiens said in French. “It’s always fun to be able to give a good performance in front of our fans at home and see their enthusiasm. We definitely have the best fans. It is heartwarming.”
In overtime, Desbiens continued to display her excellence, particularly at the two-minute mark. She slid over to deny a wrist shot before stretching out to make a sprawling save against Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner.
Off the ensuing faceoff, Maureen Murphy trailed in behind Kati Tabin on a rush and unleashed a shot from the hash marks to net her first PWHL goal and seal a 2-1 overtime victory for Montreal.
“It’s just kind of dumb luck that it popped out to me in the slot,” Murphy said about her game-winning goal. “[Desbiens] really solidified the game for us. That goal doesn’t happen unless she makes 40 plus unreal saves.”
Montreal now sits atop the standings with 15 points. Their next game is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 4 versus Boston at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass. The action begins at 3:30 p.m.