Les Canadiennes Earn Fourth Clarkson Cup Championship
Selfie with the Clarkson Cup champions (@TheCWHL/Twitter)
OTTAWA, ONT - For the third straight year, Les Canadiennes de Montreal found themselves in the CWHL Clarkson Cup finals. In the last two seasons, just one game away from earning the prestigious cup, Montreal fell just short.
This season was different, although they trailed the Calgary Inferno in the standings for most of the year, it became a clear two team race between Calgary and Montreal. After the semifinal round, Les Canadiennes easily dismissed Brampton in two games and awaited Calgary. The Inferno won their semifinal series against the Toronto Furies in three games, setting up a rematch of the 2016 Clarkson Cup final.
On Sunday afternoon in Ottawa, Les Canadiennes defeated the Inferno 3-1, to earn their fourth Clarkson Cup title in franchise history. Montreal came into the finals 3-3 in their pervious trips to the finals and losers of their last three. That all changed behind the play of 2017 CWHL MVP, Marie-Philip Poulin and CWHL Goalie of the Year, Charline Labonte.
Montreal got on the board in the first period when Katia Clement-Heydra started the scoring to give Les Canadiennes a 1-0 lead. Montreal outshot Calgary 12-5 in the first period and took that lead into the locker room.
In the second period, Poulin doubled the lead for Les Canadiennes, scoring her third goal of the Clarkson Cup playoffs. The 2-0 deficit kicked Calgary into a different gear, both goals were tough shots on Emerance Maschmeyer and she also buckled down the remainder of the period. The Inferno outshot Montreal 10-7 in the second and had momentum going into the third.
In the final frame, Labonte and Maschmeyer turned away quality opportunities from the opposing team. Jill Saulnier broke the Calgary drought with her first goal of the playoffs to but the deficit to one. The Inferno continued to put chances in on Labonte but every time she answered the call.
Calgary pulled Maschmeyer late in the third period and Montreal capitalized shortly after. Poulin buried home and empty net to put Les Canadiennes ahead by two at 18:08 in the final stanza. Labonte turned away 26 of 27 shots and for her performance earned the 2017 CWHL Clarkson Cup Playoff MVP honors.
