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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Canada. The squad  held an off-ice workout ahead of Thursday’s game against Switzerland. 

Tim Hunter showed his players video clips of them doing things well to pump them up before the opening game of the World Juniors. But Thursday morning was all about pumping the brakes. 

"Last night's an anomaly in this tournament," Canada's head coach cautioned. "We’re not going to see that again. I don’t want to make too big of a thing about 14 goals and all these guys getting points. It will be a different story against this Swiss team tonight."

Switzerland played Canada tight in a pre-tournament game last week, losing 5-3 with an empty-net goal tacked on at the end. Canada built a big lead in that game, but the players took their foot off the gas in the second period. 

"They’re a pretty good hockey team and if we don’t respect our opponent everyone’s a pretty good hockey team," Hunter warned. "I trust the maturity and the leadership in our team. We won’t have a spillover [and act] like we left all our goals on the table last night and we’re going to struggle scoring tonight, because they know it’s about process. They all get it. They know they’re not as good as all their buddies and their parents told them last night."

Even though Canada was dominant in a 14-0 thrashing of the Danes, there is room for improvement, if only a little.

"We did things right last night 95 per cent of the time and it’s that 5 per cent that we have to get out of our game as we move along and start to build our game," Hunter said. "It's tough in a game like last night to be perfect every shift, but that’s what we’re trying to build towards and it’s human nature and our guys get it so I don’t think it will be a problem with that 5 per cent tonight."

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After watching Mikey DiPietro pitch a shutout against Denmark, Ian Scott gets his chance tonight. And based on the post-game comments by Hunter, it may be the Prince Albert goalie’s only World Juniors start. 

"Mikey started the first game, because we believe in Mikey," Hunter said. "You start the season with your No. 1 goalie. Mikey’s our guy and he’s going to carry the load."

So, Scott will be looking to prove he’s ready to fill in should DiPietro stumble and the Maple Leafs prospect is relying on a specific mental strategy to stay sharp against the Swiss. Just like DiPietro, Scott writes a note to himself on his equipment. 

"I got stuff on my blocker – E.E.E. – and lots of self-talk along with that, keeping myself engaged. I like touching the puck too, if they’re rimming the puck or playing it around just try and touch the puck and stay in it that way and talk to my D."

Focusing on the three Es – Effort, Efficient and Easy – is something he picked up from then Marlies goalie coach Piero Greco during his amateur tryout in the American Hockey League at the end of last season. 

"If you put in effort and you’re efficient, it will make the game easy," Scott explained. 

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Moments before Team Canada took the ice for the game last night, the players gathered in the tunnel and Maxime Comtois, a big UFC fan, channeled his inner Bruce Buffer, who is the official octagon announcer. 

"This is the main event of the evening!" Comtois bellowed, echoing the classic introduction for a big fight. "A World Junior matchup between Canada and Denmark live from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.! IT'S TIME!"

Some of his teammates looked a bit taken aback by their captain's impromptu outburst. 

"No one really knew what that was," said smiling centre Shane Bowers, who was standing right beside the Ducks prospect at the time. "We heard him coming out and everyone kind of looked and didn't know what was going on. But it was pretty funny. It was cool."

"I did that last year," Comtois said. "Just trying to get the guys pumped before the game. I don't usually do that with my club team. It's just something I do here."

Comtois saved his biggest statement for the ice against Denmark, becoming just the fifth Canadian to score four goals in a World Juniors game. 

"I wasn't sure what was going there," said centre Cody Glass with a laugh. "He just started screaming and all the guys were like, 'What's going on?' But it's a ritual he does. I mean, if he scores four goals doing it he can do it every game if he wants to."

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In theory, it makes perfect sense. 

"Obviously, after a goal you want to party," Glass said in explaining Canada's goal-song choice at the World Juniors. "I think it's fun and a good way to get the crowd into it."

"We wanted to get the fans into a party in the stands," said Comtois. 

Although after hearing Pitbull's Don't Stop the Party basically on a constant loop last night, Glass joked he was having second thoughts. 

"After hearing it 14 times you might want to get another song going," the Winnipeg native said with a grin.

"I'm sure people are probably sick of hearing Pitbull after last night," Bowers admitted. 

More details continue to emerge on the decision-making process. Apparently it got down to three candidates and one was vetoed by Hockey Canada. Bowers revealed that Everytime We Touch by Cascada​ was the runner-up. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just like last year, no one wants to be known as the guy who came up with the winning song. 

"The team itself," Comtois insisted. "I don’t think anyone’s going to take full credit for it. There were a few we bounced around, but I think we ended up with the right one."

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Projected lineup for Team Canada:

Forwards
Comtois-Glass-Tippett
Lafrenière-Anderson-Dolan-Suzuki
Frost-Hayton-Leason
Veleno-Bowers-Studnicka
Entwistle

Defencemen
Phillips-Bouchard
Brook-Mitchell
Smith-Dobson
McIsaac

Goaltenders
Scott starts
DiPietro