Smile Between Whistles: the Mental Reset that Fuels Desbiens

Ann-Renée Desbiens had to overcome a tough first game in the PWHL Playoffs to backstop the Montreal Victoire to the Walter Cup Finals, losing 5-4 in overtime to the two-time defending champion Minnesota Freeze to start the best-of-five semifinal series.

Desbiens bounced back to finish the series with a .940 save percentage that included a couple of highlight-reel saves in a 2-1 series-clinching win on Tuesday. Montreal’s three wins came by scores of 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1, but whether it was the strangely wide-open series opener or the tight, low-scoring games that followed, it’s a safe bet Desbiens found moments to smile throughout the series. It’s become one of her keys to success.