Poulin Injured as Canada Beats Czechia 5-1 at the Winter Olympics
-
By Ava Tremblay
- —
Summary:
- Captain Marie-Philip Poulin left early after a heavy hit, returned briefly to support teammates, but didn’t finish the game.
- Canada scored four more goals in the first period, securing a 5-1 victory over Czechia.
- Poulin’s status for Tuesday’s game against the US is uncertain.
Canada rolled to a convincing 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. Unfortunately, the scoreline quickly became secondary after captain Marie-Philip Poulin went down midway through the first period.
The 34-year-old left the ice after a heavy hit, and for a few tense minutes, the bench felt very quiet.
Uncertainty for Tuesday’s Match
Poulin was checked into the boards by Kristyna Kaltounkova with Canada leading 1-0. She skated slowly to the bench, clearly favoring her right leg, then briefly returned during a power play.
That return gave her teammates a lift. When she took a few strides at the buzzer to end the period and stayed on the bench to support the group, it felt reassuring. Still, she did not return for the rest of the game, and her availability for Tuesday’s matchup with the United States remains uncertain.
Defender Jocelyne Larocque.
There’s a lot of concern when anybody leaves the ice, but especially her, She did try to come back and I think that’s a good sign. That, to me, shows it’s not extremely serious. It’s obviously concerning because she’s not only the best player, but the best leader.
Coach Troy Ryan: “She’s the Heart and Soul of This Group”
Head coach Troy Ryan echoed that mix of relief and caution.
It felt optimistic. Pou came back just to be with the group, probably to ease their minds a little bit. She’s so reliable, so valuable, she’s the heart and soul of this group. If she’s there, she’ll continue to be the heart and soul of this group and if she’s not there, she’ll continue to be its heart and soul.
On the ice, Canada responded the way experienced teams do. They didn’t slow down. Three more goals followed before the first intermission, knocking Czech starter Julie Pejsova out of the game early. Julia Gosling scored twice on the power play, while Kristin O’Neill, Sarah Fillier and Laura Stacey also found the net. Ann-Renée Desbiens turned aside 18 of 19 shots.
Stacey said,
You never like to see that, especially to someone like that, our leader, our rock. It hurts and I think our bench did feel that a little bit… it was our turn to pick her up.
Marie-Philip Poulin’s presence looms large, as she counts among the most active players with 17 Olympic goals.
