Rivalry Rematch goes to Canada
Poulin’s OT goal edges Americans
After Marie-Philip Poulin did it again and Canada’s latest celebration settled down, many of the world’s best female hockey players headed to center ice.
Tired and sweaty, and a few of the Americans still simmering after their 4-3 loss, they all lined up around the faceoff circle at PPG PaintsArena and saluted the crowd with their sticks. They then snapped a group photoby the Penguins logo.
“What an incredible crowd,” Hilary Knight said. “Pittsburgh showed up for us.”
The hope is that Saturday’s showcase event in Pittsburgh will be a historic moment as they try to push the women’s game even furtherin North America.
Saturday’s “Rivalry Rematch” was a women’s hockey exhibition that featured the national teams from the United States and Canada. The two bitter rivals just battled in Beijing last month in another Olympic gold-medal game, which Canadawon.
Many of the players who competed in China, including superstars in Knight and Poulin, traveled to Pittsburgh to participate Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. That was noteworthy given that they just spent several months ramping up for the Olympics before they duked it out Feb. 17 in another emotionalOlympic final.
Knight said participating was important, not only to inspire “the next generation” of female players, but also to capitalize on the attention the women’s game got last month. The goldmedal game, aired on NBC, had3.54 million viewers.
“It’s so much bigger than the game,” said Knight, one of the most decorated players in USA Hockey history. “When you look at the history of women’s hockey, there’s a lot of teams that have been trying to do something post-Olympics to continue the momentum to make sure that women’s hockeydoesn’t go silent.”
Knight added: “The rematch obviously, you know, brings a lot of eyeballs.”
Saturday’s game was televised on NHL Network and Canada’s Sportsnet. The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, which on short notice organized the exhibition alongside the Penguins, was pleasedwith the turnout.
The Rivalry Rematch had an announced crowd of 5,410. Many fans pulled on their Penguins gear. But there were also a few in Knightand Coyne jerseys.
Kids made signs with messages like “Girls Can” and “Hockeyis for Everyone.”
And young faces pressed up against the Plexiglass duringpregame warm-ups.
“Not long ago, we were those little kids who were looking around the rinks, looking for someone who looks like us,” U.S. forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said.
Another person sitting in the crowd was Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson. His wife, Emily, a former U.S. player, was a guest coach on the American bench. So he brought their infant son, Hudson, to come outand show support.
“The U.S.-Canada rivalry is like nothing else,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any other sport where there’s two teams that completely dominate every tournament they’re at and then you can pretty much flip a coin to see whowill win.”
The first round of “USA!” chants started four minutes into the first period. Canada’s BlayreTurnbull soon quieted those with the opening goal. Knight showed off her silky mitts to score the tying goal on a breakaway late in that period.
The two teams traded goals again in the second, with Hannah Brandt scoring for the U.S. team. In the third period, the Americans grabbed their first lead, 3-2, witha Hayley Scamurra goal. But Canada answered just 24 secondslater.
Poulin, probably the best women’s player on the planet, drew two defenders thendished over to Jamie Lee
Rattray, who beat U.S. goalie NicoleHensley.
After more blocked shots and bumps along the boards, plus a couple of good looks for Canada in the final minute of regulation, the game went to overtime.
With the teams playing 3on-3, Poulin dipped below the goal line and attempted a centering pass. After it bounced inoff the skate of U.S. defenseman Megan Keller, Poulin sheepishly celebrated her latest game-winner against the U.S.team.
The Canadian bench cleared and Poulin was soon swallowedup in a scrum.
“For her to score an overtime goal, it’s the new standard,” Turnbull said, glancing at Poulin. “At this point, I think she gets a little bit embarrassedabout it.”
While the caliber of play was understandably not quite as sharp as it was during the Olympics, it was a
competitive game and a fun dayat PPG Paints Arena.
NHL coach Mike Sullivan thought it was “great” the Penguinsplayed host.
“Anytime we have an opportunity as the NHL or the Pittsburgh Penguins to make a positive impact on [women’s hockey], it’s a winwin,” he said Friday. “It’s great for hockey. It’s great for kids. It’s great for women. It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us. I think we all have a responsibility to try to grow thegame.”
Sullivan pointed to elite women’s players, many of whom were on the ice Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, as one of the primary reasons the number of girls participating in leagues and events sanctioned by USA Hockey continuesto grow.
He said it’s no different than all the boys throughout the world who idolized players such as Sidney Crosby
and Evgeni Malkin and becameinspired to play.
“I think there’s some real charismatic players involved with both sides that do a terrific job in representing our sport and their respective teams,”he said.
And right now, none are more compelling than Poulin. After she played the role of hero yet again, she expressed optimism that bigger thingsare on the way.
“Obviously, today was special. It was more than winning or losing. It was about women’s hockey. And I think we made a statement again today,” she said, adding, “I think this game, with two weeks of notice, having that many people in the stands is just the start of something great. We believe in what we have.”