LAVAL, Que. — Marie-Philip Poulin would not be denied twice.
After her overtime goal in Saturday’s home opener was called back, Montreal’s captain buried the game-winner in a 3-2 win over New York on Tuesday night.
Montreal attracted 6,334 spectators for its first game at Place Bell — and first win on home ice — after dropping a 3-2 overtime loss to Boston three nights earlier.
"It warms your heart," Poulin, a 32-year-old of Beauceville, Que., said. "There's such an atmosphere in the stands.
"Makes you realize how lucky we are to play in Montreal, at home, and tonight in Laval."
Tereza Vanisova started the winning play with a hard forecheck before Maureen Murphy threaded the needle with a pinpoint pass onto Poulin’s backhand.
The woman known as “Captain Clutch” for scoring in big moments made no mistake for her fourth of the season at 13:46 of the third period as the crowd erupted.
“That's what you want to see from your top line," said head coach Kori Cheverie. "To be clutch in those moments, and I was proud of them for that."
Gabrielle David and Leah Lum also scored for Montreal (3-1-1). Murphy had two assists and Vanisova pitched in with her team-leading fifth helper of the season. Ann-Renee Desbiens made 30 saves.
Jessie Eldridge and Jaime Bourbonnais scored for New York (2-3-0). Alex Carpenter had two assists and Ella Shelton earned one, while Abigail Levy stopped 27 shots.
Carpenter and Shelton lead the league with seven points each.
Poulin scored a hat trick in Montreal’s 5-2 win over New York on the road when the teams met for the first time last Wednesday.
In the second game between the two teams, the physicality was cranked up a notch with full-on bodychecks — both open-ice and along the boards.
The hitting and the perceived inconsistent officiating received some mixed reviews post-game
“I understand the shoulder-to-shoulder (hits)," Cheverie said. "But the full-on, what we call nose-to-nose hits, that's a penalty in women's hockey.
“There just needs to be some consistency with that. If they don't call things like that early in the game then they're gonna lose (control of) the game."
Down 2-1 after 40 minutes, New York tied the game 11 seconds into the third period when Eldridge scored directly off a faceoff won by Carpenter.
Montreal looked to regain the lead with consecutive power-play opportunities midway through the period but Levy shut the door.
Poulin then knocked in the game-winner and earned a loud applause when the goal was announced.
"When it's Poulin putting that in the back of the net in Laval and Quebec, it means a lot more,” Cheverie said. “And the crowd, wow, electric right?”
Poulin was around the puck all game long. She had multiple opportunities to score early, and set up a couple other chances, but the game remained scoreless midway through the first period.
David opened the scoring with her first in the PWHL on Tuesday by burying a set up from Jillian Dempsey at 16:50.
The 24-year-old David of Drummondville, Que., drew into the lineup for Kennedy Marchment after being a healthy scratch in Montreal’s home opener.
Lum doubled Montreal’s lead just 17 seconds later with a wrist shot through a crowd.
Poulin and Abby Roque got into some pushing and shoving off a faceoff six minutes into the second, leading to penalties for both players.
After Montreal’s Vanisova earned another penalty for goalie interference, Bourbonnais put New York on the board with a power-play goal at 8:14.
Vanisova and Catherine Daoust each levelled their opponents with big hits along the boards later in the period of the physical game.
“I like the fact that they're letting more go," said New York head coach Howie Draper, who believed there could have been more calls each way. "I think at some point we'll all figure out kind of what that balance is."
NOTES
New York left the ice before shaking hands with a waiting Montreal team. Draper said New York was told by the league to get off the ice quickly for television purposes. Cheverie said Montreal had not heard about that. … There was a delay in New York’s hockey sticks arriving on time. The team was provided with different sticks until their equipment finally arrived in the second intermission.
UP NEXT
Montreal: Hosts Toronto at Verdun Auditorium on Saturday.
New York: Visits Boston on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
