2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Canada vs. Germany quarterfinal game
With their leader back in action, Canada is back on track.
In Marie-Philip Poulin’s return to the lineup, Canada had an easy time beating Germany in the quarterfinals of the women’s tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, winning by a final score of 5-1.
Canada came out hard and fast against the underdog Germans, showing the team’s prowess and renewed confidence five days after getting dismantled by the United States. Brianne Jenner, who had been wearing the ‘C’ in Poulin’s absence, scored the first goal of the game just a couple of minutes into the contest thanks to a nice play from Emma Maltais. They kept their foot on the gas as Claire Thompson potted her first goal of the tournament late in the period, giving the Canadians a sense of comfort heading into the first intermission.
Despite the Canadians ramping up the pressure in the second, only Sarah Fillier was able to find the back of the net in the middle frame, thanks to some great movement on the power play. Sandra Abstreiter did everything she could to stymie Canada’s onslaught, making 16 saves in the second stanza.
Canada put their machine on cruise control in the third, with Blayre Turnbull scoring her first in Milan early in the frame. However, history was made in the final frame. An errant pass on the power play from Renata Fast sprung German forward Franziska Feldmier on the breakaway, leading to Germany’s first-ever goal against Canada in a major international tournament.
Poulin capped the game off with her first goal of the tournament. It was the Quebec native’s 18th of her Olympic career, tying her with Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser for the most ever at the Winter Games.
Canada outshot Germany 43-11 in the contest. Fillier ended up with a goal and an assist, while Daryl Watts posted two helpers in the win.
The Canadians went 2-for-7 on the power play, and now lead all teams with seven goals on the player advantage. Germany went 0-for-3, finishing the tournament with a power-play percentage of 11.8%.
Canada has made it to every semifinal in women’s hockey at the Olympics and has never missed out on playing in the gold medal game. They will take on the winner of the Switzerland and Finland quarterfinal on Saturday.
For Germany, a team playing at the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, making it to the quarterfinals was expected. However, failing to finish atop Group B, and having to face a team like Canada in the knockout stage might go down as a slight disappointment.
Canada
Marie-Philip Poulin, F
You knew I was going to mention her at some point, right? I was really going to focus on her game and how confident she looked despite admitting that her right knee is still bothering her. Poulin skated hard, was aggressive on the puck, and showed very little rust in her limited ice time. Getting her first of the tournament is certainly going to her more confidence heading into next week, as Canada will need her as close to her best as possible if they want any chance of winning gold.
Brianne Jenner, F
I have really liked Jenner’s path to the top six in the lineup as the tournament has worn on. From having to take a greater role with Poulin out, she stepped into a larger role than probably expected in the tournament. Getting that goal early in the game provided a little bit of an extra boost. With a couple of tough games on the horizon, Jenner’s going to have to bring that two-way prowess that has made her a mainstay on the national team for years.
Claire Thompson, D
Many of us were harping on Thompson’s defensive game after the loss to the U.S. Yet, the Vancouver Goldeneyes blueliner has played some good hockey since then. Not necessarily putting herself in a bad position in her own zone, while maintaining her presence on the offensive side of the puck. She led the team with five shots on goal against Germany, and now has four points in five games in Italy.
Germany
Sandra Abstreiter, G
It was another busy tournament for Abstreiter, who will go down as the only goaltender to start every game for her team in this tournament. She put together a strong effort against Canada, getting peppered from the onset of the contest. How the Montreal Victoire netminder always seems to continue to battle, even when her team is heavily outmatched, has made her one of the most respected goaltenders in the game today. Abstreiter is currently second in the tournament with 127 saves, with a 2.59 goals-against average that places her sixth.
Franziska Feldmeier, F
I just wanted to give Feldmeier an extra shout-out for scoring the notable goal. The read she made to pick off the pass proved that, even when well out of the game, she and her team were still fighting. She’s one of the country’s top offensive weapons, and I expect to her to be an impact player for years to come.