BRAMPTON, Ont. — Captain Marie-Philip Poulin added to her glittering resume Friday with goals No. 100 and 101 for Canada in a 5-1 win over Czechia at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
"I'm running out of adjectives," said Canadian coach Troy Ryan. "Just a special human, a special player. Just has an ability to change a game at any time.
"When we talk about the identity we want as a team, that's the identity she is as a player. She can beat you with physicality, with defence or with offence. We're glad she's Canadian."
Poulin scored her milestone goal in style, finishing off a rapid-fire two-on-one with Blayre Turnbull by tucking a backhand behind Czechia netminder Blanka Skodova at 8:03 of the first period to open the scoring. Poulin switched to her backhand so quickly that Skodova was sliding over to the wrong side of the goal as the Canadian star fired the puck home.
The 32-year-old from Beauceville, Que., playing in her 171st game for Canada, joins Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Danielle Goyette in the century club.
"It is a special group, for sure, and it's really an honour for me," said Poulin. "But we're far from our goal. … At the end of the day, it's about the team."
Poulin made it 4-1 at 2:16 of the third period with another beauty. After taking the puck just outside the blue line, she went past Czechia defender Dominika Laskova like she was a traffic pylon before snapping a shot home.
Turnbull, Renata Fast and Laura Stacey also scored for Canada before a largely red-clad announced crowd of 4,036 at the CAA Centre. Turnbull also collected three assists.
Natalie Mlynkova had the lone Czechia goal. Canada outshot Czechia 42-15.
It marked the first time the two teams had ever met with Czechia becoming the 15th different country the Canadian women — who were playing game No. 426 in their history — have faced in international competition.
And there was a familiar face behind the Czech bench in coach Carla MacLeod, a former Canadian defenceman who won Olympic gold in Turin in 2006 and — with Poulin — Vancouver in 2010.
The two shared a hug after the game.
"She's just a very, very special player. … I couldn't be more thrilled for her tonight," said MacLeod.
MacLeod, who played for Canada from 2003 until her retirement in 2010, won one gold and three silver medals at the world championships. She went on to serve as an assistant coach for Mount Royal University and Japan from 2012 to 2014 before taking over the University of Calgary women's team in August 2021.
She was named Czechia's head coach in April 2022.
The Czechs proved to be a physical opponent.
"I thought they made things difficult, for sure," said Ryan, who said he had expected a prickly foe on the evening.
MacLeod was delighted by her side's showing.
"I'm one proud coach right now," she said. "We came into a big-moment game, a new moment for all of us. And I thought we just came in with a confidence and a desire to compete and play. And I was really, really proud of our effort the entire night."
The average age of the Czechs was 23, compared to 28 for Canada.
As they did against the Swiss in their opening Group A game, the Canadians took an early penalty with goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens calmly handling the two shots she faced from the Czech power play.
After Poulin's goal, the Czechs tied it at 1-1 with 1:33 remaining in the first period when a fluttering wrist shot from Mlynkova somehow squeezed through Desbiens' pads. Normal service resumed 25 seconds later as Fast's shot beat Skodova, who had both Emily Clark and Stacey blocking her view.
Canada, which scored twice on the power play in its opening win over Switzerland, failed to convert three power-play opportunities in a choppy second period. A goal by Turnbull, off a Jocelyne Larocque shot from the point through traffic, was a welcome relief for the Canadians at 18:57 of the period.
Clark set up the play, digging the puck out of the corner and fed it back to Larocque, a veteran blue liner playing in her 168th game for Canada.
It was all the Canadians had to show in a period that saw them outshoot Czechia 14-4.
Canada made life difficult for itself in the third after Poulin's second goal, taking three straight minor penalties — and having to defend a 70-second five-on-three disadvantage.
Stacey padded the lead with 5:20 remaining with another shot through heavy traffic.
Czechia's Tereza Vanisova and Laskova were fresh off helping the Toronto Six capture the Isobel Cup in Premier Hockey Federation play.
Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. downed Switzerland 9-1 in another Group A game with Abbey Murphy scoring a record seven seconds into the game. Abby Roque won the opening faceoff with the puck going to Murphy, who accelerated past forward Sinja Leemann and then drove around defenceman Nicole Vallario before roofing the puck from a sharp angle.
The previous fastest goal at the women's worlds was 13 seconds in 1994. Eight different Americans scored in the rout.
Finland blanked Germany 3-0 in Group B play Friday.
Canada opened Group A play with a 4-0 win over Switzerland on Wednesday while the Czechs edged Japan 2-1 in overtime Thursday. The Canadian women, who have never missed the podium in 21 prior trips to the tournament, are in search of their 13th world title.
The Czechs finished third at last year's worlds, their best-ever finish at the tournament. They lost 10-1 to the U.S, in the semifinals then beat Switzerland 4-2 in the third-place game.
Czechia lost 4-1 to the U.S. in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics with the Americans needing three third-period goals to pull ahead. Czechia finished seventh and goaltender Klara Peslarova was named to the Olympic all-star team.
Canada faces Japan on Saturday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2023.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
