Why is Olsen struggling so much?
- Thread starter J15
- Start date
Yes he can. He is one of the smoothest skaters on the team.
He just doesn't seem very smart or talented. He has size and and is a good skater so it's easy to see why he was 1st round pick but his shot, passing and defensive positioning have all looked like garbage.
I was going to post exactly the same thing. I'd try Cowen on the first pair with Ellis with Cowen staying more at home etc..
Noeller
Registered User
Here's why I have had a raised eyebrow since Olsen made the club in the first place:
I was covering the Alberta Junior league a few years back, when DO was a Camrose Kodiak. They were facing the Olds Grizzlys, a much lower ranked team, in the 2nd round of playoffs. A play developed, and as the puck was dumped in behind the Grizzlys net, goaltender Marc Boulanger went to play the puck in behind, and a Kodiak player stormed in and slashed his glove hand, knocking the trapper to the ice. The puck was scrummed in the corner, and, not knowing what to do, Boulanger went back into the net with no glove on. So there he is, barehanded, when the puck squeaks outta the scrum and floats right in between the hash marks. Dylan Olsen was playing the right point, and pinched in to corral the loose puck. He's all alone from the hash marks...what is that? 6 feet from the net, maybe? He's got a goaltender with no glove on, so basically an entire half of the net...he unloads a slap shot, misses the net by at least 6 feet to the right, and puts the puck back into that corner.
I remember being at a complete loss for words. HC Boris Rybalka sat Olsen's ass on the bench, and DO never saw the ice for the rest of the series.
Now, I'm not saying the kid hasn't grown and become a quality hockey player, but whenever I see him out there, all I can think of is that one play in Camrose.
I was covering the Alberta Junior league a few years back, when DO was a Camrose Kodiak. They were facing the Olds Grizzlys, a much lower ranked team, in the 2nd round of playoffs. A play developed, and as the puck was dumped in behind the Grizzlys net, goaltender Marc Boulanger went to play the puck in behind, and a Kodiak player stormed in and slashed his glove hand, knocking the trapper to the ice. The puck was scrummed in the corner, and, not knowing what to do, Boulanger went back into the net with no glove on. So there he is, barehanded, when the puck squeaks outta the scrum and floats right in between the hash marks. Dylan Olsen was playing the right point, and pinched in to corral the loose puck. He's all alone from the hash marks...what is that? 6 feet from the net, maybe? He's got a goaltender with no glove on, so basically an entire half of the net...he unloads a slap shot, misses the net by at least 6 feet to the right, and puts the puck back into that corner.
I remember being at a complete loss for words. HC Boris Rybalka sat Olsen's ass on the bench, and DO never saw the ice for the rest of the series.
Now, I'm not saying the kid hasn't grown and become a quality hockey player, but whenever I see him out there, all I can think of is that one play in Camrose.
v-man
Registered User
lol, every time I saw Canadians discussing Olsen I wondered why they are talking so much about some Norwegian. Now I realized he's on Team Canada
LOL. I came in here thinking the same thing. No clue who this kid is, and I've seen all of Canada's games. Then again, this year's entire team is a bunch of no names compared to the past, so I'm not surprised.
Blind Gardien
nexus of the crisis
I too wonder what the problem is. I haven't seen Olsen since his WU-18 showing, and he was good there IMHO. He had a role and got noticed for it, and his draft stock seemed to go up correspondingly. He seems to have a lot of things missing now, though. I don't see speed/skating as ever having been his strength, but he played more aggressively and had the shooting presence before. Right now, he has nothing. He's like Cam Barker without the offense.
And I agree that he has been bad right from the first shift of the Russian game. He was brutal on that first shift, and has never recovered. It's a definite problem for the team, because Ellis is the go-to guy with the puck, and you need a) Ellis on the ice a lot, and b) somebody to help cover for Ellis.
But he does have to be better than he has shown to have made the team, and hopefully it's not a health issue and he can recover to play well the rest of the way. They will need to see very soon what can be done to "fix" the Olsen issue, whatever it is. Crunch time has arrived. There's time for him to turn it around. Barely.
I understand where you are coming from and would have been in concurrence earlier in the tournament. However, defensive teamwork and cohesion is very important in a short tournament such as this one. When Canada had one of its best defensive successes (with not the most talented players) Brent Sutter put together, Kris Letang-Luc Bourdon from the Q, Ryan Parent-Marc Staal from the O, and Cam Barker and Kris Russell from the Dub, he made one of the top performing "D's" Canada has put together for the U 20 - because he understood the chemistry of what works well together.
In this tournament, we have the Gudbanson-Dupres pair who struggled in camp and was not much better in the Russia game with bad communication, poor reads and trying to do too much. However, they have moved up and are now arguably Canada's top pairing and work well together. I would hate to have to destroy this pairing just prior to a big game such as the Sweden one. Similarly, the Cowen-Barrie combo played some before de Haan was hurt and looked good together and played together last night for most of the game. So since Olsen is not looking so hot, why not try de Haan and Ellis together - and if that doesn't seem to be effective, there is always Plan B and C and!!!
leafsfuture
Registered User
- Mar 30, 2008
- 6,134
- 183
DeHaan and Ellis is intriguing, especially since DeHaan is underrated defensively, but highly doubt that Cameron puts our two most calm puck movers on the same pairing.
That might be it right there. First shift on such a big stage, he falters, and his confidence is shot, and hasn't been found since.
Seeing as how it's nothing but big games from here on out, he probably lost his chance to get it back.
No, he's considered likely. We'll see what happens, but it sounds like he could've played last night if it was a game that was more "urgent" and where it was thought he was needed.
Ironslave
Registered User
- May 22, 2008
- 530
- 1
Agree completely, would allow Ellis to play more offensive if by chance Canada is in a situation where they need him to.
Edit: I don't think Olsen is hurt, I think that he's in a situation where a young player makes a few mistakes to start, and then it gets in his head. Everything seems to be moving faster than it really is, and whenever the puck comes to him that's in the back of his mind, which is a recipe for disaster. Once a player loses his confidence, it's tough to get it back very quickly in the same tournament. I think it's unfortunate, but he needs to be relegated to the 7th D for the rest of the tournament.
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Vaclav Varada
CoJo
Olsen reminds me A LOT of Cowen last year. He has a hard time with the smaller speedy forwards and gets caught flat footed a lot.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaa
Registered User
- May 16, 2009
- 12,252
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He was hinting that he was injured, but I think he just isn't that good.
Look, there are a good percentage of guys who make Team Canada and slip into relative obscurity not long afterwards. I think he'll be one of them. He doesn't seem to have the head or heart for the competition. I see him bailing on plays where he could get back into it with a little hustle.
Look, there are a good percentage of guys who make Team Canada and slip into relative obscurity not long afterwards. I think he'll be one of them. He doesn't seem to have the head or heart for the competition. I see him bailing on plays where he could get back into it with a little hustle.
CODER33
Registered User
agreed 100%
anyone remember Jeremy Colliton from that 2005 powerhouse team in North Dakota? exactly...
Zaphod
Registered User
Really? I mean really? There wasn't a defenseman on last years team who was worse? You know a certain dman who had to be benched and the coach had to break up the best line in the tournament to put a forward in his spot?
Theres been many players who have struggled worse than Olsen. He's been bad though.
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Can you refresh my memory? Not being sarcastic, I'm trying to think but I'm coming up blank.. I'm thinking maybe Cowen?
cowen never scored on his net nor drived forwards into his goalie
if the coach from last year was here Olsen wouldnt be getting any ice since game 2
if the coach from last year was here Olsen wouldnt be getting any ice since game 2
