CANADA SPANKS DENMARK 14-0 TO OPEN WORLD J’S
VANCOUVER – Morgan Frost had chills Wednesday night as Canadian hockey lovers chanted his name.
Fans at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena were keen to show their appreciation for the 19-year-old left-winger after he put up three goals and two assists in Canada’s decisive 14-0 win over Denmark.
Cheers of “Frosty! Frosty!” echoed through the crowd of more than 16,400 after the Philadelphia Flyers prospect was dubbed player of the game.
“That was coolest moment I have ever been a part of and I had chills running right through my body,” Frost said.
“It was an unbelievable game and something I will never forget.”
The victory marked the first game of the tournament for Canada, which took gold last year.
Canada’s captain Maxime Comtois scored four goals in the win, and Owen Tippett and Brett Leason each notched a pair. Jack Studnicka, Jaret Anderson-Dolan and MacKenzie Entwistle all found the net to round out the scoring, and Cody Glass tallied four assists.
Comtois said he hasn’t had scored four times in a game since his first year in junior, when he was 16.
“It’s always fun to score goals and it doesn’t happen often,” said the Anaheim Ducks prospect. “I got a couple lucky bounces and good passes from my teammates. I just put the puck in the net.”
Canucks prospect and Ottawa 67’s goalie Michael DiPietro made 14 saves to earn the shutout.
“I’ve never been part of a game where I’ve made as many saves as we had goals,” DiPietro said. “I told the guys I kind of lost count.”
Mads Sogaard of the Medicine Hat Tigers stopped 30-of-41 shots for Denmark before he left the game with an apparent injury midway through the third period.
Ian Scott, goalie for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, is expected to get the start Thursday night when Canada takes on the Swiss.
NOTES: Comtois is just the fifth Canadian to score four goals in a single game at the world juniors tournament. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh was last to accomplish the feat in 2017. Brayden Schenn, Simon Gagne and Mario Lemieux have also put up four goals in a single game… Goalie Michael DiPietro posted an assist alongside his shutout… Fifteen of Canada’s 22 players made it on to the scoresheet Wednesday night.
(Canadian Press)
