Olli Juolevi makes his long-awaited NHL debut
It’s felt like an eternity waiting to watch the Canucks 5th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft make his NHL debut, but it finally happened. Olli Juolevi has fought off everything in his way that’s tried to stop him from making it big (two major injuries), and he finally earned enough confidence in the coaching staff to get the green light.
Opting to go with the young kid over Oscar Fantenberg, Green inserted him into a sheltered role, and for the most part, he was solid. To be honest, you didn’t really notice him out there too much (he only played a touch over six minutes), but that’s a good thing. He didn’t generate much for scoring chances, but he didn’t mess anything up in the defensive zone either.
Telling the Canucks he’s determined to transform his game into a penalty-killing role, he didn’t actually see any PK time in his debut, but he was solid enough in his own end to keep the puck off of the net. Zero shots against while he was on the ice and it didn’t matter who he was paired with, he looked good.
Playing more of a fill-in role when the top four needed a breather, Juolevi didn’t get many chances to showcase his skills, but at the same time, he’s not complaining. At the end of the day, he got his big moment, he didn’t cause problems for the Canucks, he never coughed up the puck, and hopefully, this is the first of many, many games for No. 48 in a Vancouver uniform.
Finals thoughts…
The Vancouver Canucks never quit. They believed in one another all the way from the opening puck drop to the first and final 11 seconds of the extra frame that saw Chris Tanev advance the Canucks to the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Clutch performances! The Canucks wait to see who they battle in the round of 16. Will it be the Stars of Dallas? Or will it be the defending Stanley Cup winners, the St. Louis Blues? Either way, Vancouver has completed their 50th season goal, and everything here on out is a huge bonus.
Don’t be surprised if the Canucks keep surprising. They are Craig Button and Tom Gazzola’s darkhorse of the Western Conference after all. Stay tuned for a best-of-seven series everyone!