Max Comtois scores 4 as Canada thumps Denmark at world juniors

Canada’s quest to retain the World Junior Hockey Championship for the first time since its five-year rule over the international crown from 2005-2009 begins Wednesday versus Denmark at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Keep it here to track the Canadians’ progress live.

Okay, then.

Canada blew the doors off Denmark in the opener of the 2019 World Junior Championship in Vancouver on Wednesday night. Fourteen goals for and not a blemish on goalie Michael DiPietro’s stat sheet sets up the defending champions for a favourable tiebreaking scenario, if need be.

Here’s the blow-by-blow from the 14-0 demolition, which includes a hat trick from Morgan Frost and record-tying four-goal performance from the team’s captain, Max Comtois:

First Period

Just before the five-minute mark in the first, Frost is rewarded for a strong forecheck by collecting a puck swung blindly back down low on a Denmark turnover. Left alone in front, Frost slides the puck through the pads of the Danish goalie with a quick move to the backhand — and thus reveals Canada’s goal song choice, “Don’t Stop the Party” by Pitbull.

Questionable pick, fellas.

Frost picked up his second point in under 10 minutes just a handful of shifts later, firing a return pass back through a seam to the cutting Owen Tippett, who was able to ram it home. The play looked like a clear offside, but upon further review, Tippett demonstrated that his brains match his hands while waiting to touch the puck until after his linemate cleared the zone once he pushed it over the blue line.

How’s this for a dream start for Frost, tonight wearing a Team Canada sweater for the very first time (competitively)? The Flyers’ first-rounder called for the feed while he cut through two defenders in the dying moments of the first and kissed a perfect snap shot off the short-side post and in for his second goal and third point of the opening frame.

Second Period

Well, Canada will soon accelerate past the seven-goal spread set by Vegas oddsmakers in this one, it seems. Captain Max Comtois, the only returnee from last year’s title winners, banged in his own rebound in the opening minute of the period to make it 4-0 for the Canadians.

Those brand-new Canada caps? Send ’em over the boards, Vancouver. Frost completed the hat trick and grabbed his fourth point under two minutes into the second, burying an artfully deceptive feed on a 2-on-1 rush with Nick Suzuki — which was, by the way, set in motion by goaltender Michael DiPietro.

Jack Studnicka from Cody Glass. Canada swiftly takes advantage of a power-play chance approaching the midway mark on the second, scoring on the rush. This is a top-end finish from Studnicka, and quietly Glass’s third assist of night.

Tippett displayed his devastating release on a power play approaching the latter stages of the middle frame, making it 7-0 for Canada. The defending champs improved to 2-2 on its power-play tries with Tippett’s snipes, helping put the rest of the tournament on notice.

Third Period

When DiPietro isn’t creating offense from his own crease, he’s stopping dudes on penalty shots. Canada’s starter neatly turned aside a rather unfortunate attempt from Phillip Schultz to preserve his shutout bid.

Nine goals, 10 goals, 11 goals, 12 goals. While the IIHF won’t issue a mercy rule, it seems a little silly, now, to document each in a game that’s now completely out of hand.

We should, however, share the other hat-trick goal, courtesy of Comtois.

And his record-tying fourth:

The context:

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