Smile Between Whistles: the Mental Reset that Fuels Desbiens
- Desbiens says trying to 'lock in' for an entire game is the wrong approach — and her reasoning is rooted in how the nervous system actually works.
- The specific trigger she uses to snap back into focus between every whistle is explained in her own words inside the article.
- Her playoff .940 save percentage after a 5-4 OT opening loss shows this reset method works under maximum pressure — the full breakdown is below.
- Most goalies treat mental toughness as sustained concentration. Desbiens defines it differently, and the distinction matters for every level of the game.
- She also shared a second lesson about playoff preparation — one learned across a career that includes multiple Olympic medals and several PWHL records.
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.
Desbiens described exactly what she does at TV timeouts to deliberately switch off — and the specific habit she says makes re-locking in for every puck drop automatic.
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