It’s been a tournament and season to forget for almost the entirety of Canada’s blueline. Watching one or two players struggle might be the norm, but collectively, it’s been a challenging campaign for Ella Shelton, Renata Fast, Erin Ambrose, and Jocelyn Larocque. Add in missed coverage or defensive lapses from Sophie Jaques and to a lesser extent, Claire Thompson, and this group just hasn’t looked good. In part, it’s the system they’re being asked to play, including their freedom to sink deep into the offensive zone and join rushes regardless of positioning. Against the Swiss, the main threat for Canada will be the unforced turnovers, and slow feet getting back to their positions after ill-advised rushes that will kill Canada. If Switzerland scores, it will almost certainly be a defensive breakdown and an opportunistic moment for the Swiss. In the preliminary round however, Alina Muller was able at times to walk through much of the Canadian roster. This team needs to play simple defense against the Swiss, keeping players in front of them, and dropping the flash and dash that just hasn’t worked.
