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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Canada, which held a media availability in Vancouver on Sunday. 

Nick Suzuki didn’t just watch the NHL as a fan growing up. The Canadiens prospect studied games always looking for little things he could apply to his own approach. His two favourite players to keep an eye on were Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Boston's Patrice Bergeron. 

"They do a lot of little things with their stick and with their feet, puck protection," the Owen Sound forward said, "making little plays with their linemates and that’s where I really found the love of hockey and making smart plays."

Suzuki's high hockey IQ was evident on Saturday night against the Czechs especially on the power play when he set up Morgan Frost with a beautiful cross-ice pass in the third period. 

"It didn’t look like a lot was there," observed assistant coach Brent Kisio, who works with the power play. "I watched it on video again and it still doesn’t look like a lot is there and yet he finds a way to know where that seam pass is and makes it. He has the skill, but he also seems to be able to slow it down and make the right reads."

"Zukes kind of faked everyone out," said Frost, who had a gaping net to fire the puck into. "Everyone was thinking he was going to shoot and he just slid it backdoor. It was a great pass."

 

Suzuki had been plotting the move since early in the game. 

"On our first power play, he saw me look at him, but the lane wasn’t there," Suzuki noted. 

But the pair believed that same play would be available later and let defenceman Ty Smith in on it. Sort of. 

"Frosty just came over and said, 'We have a play so just give it to Zukes if we win the draw,'" Smith said with a grin. "So I think I took one step with it and just gave it to Zukes, as I was told, and that was a great pass. It was a nice finish too."

"Frosty made a great play getting lost out by the boards and came back in backdoor," Suzuki said. "And (Maxime) Comtois also made an amazing play by taking the defender’s stick away to open the lane so it’s a full team effort."

At even strength, Suzuki has joined forces with Spokane's Jaret Anderson-Dolan and the Boston University's​ Shane Bowers, offering head coach Tim Hunter a reliable trio that can be trusted against top lines and also chip in offensively. 

"In the O-zone he’s always in the right spot," said Anderson-Dolan of Suzuki. "When you have the puck he’s always diving into holes and getting in good spots to get the puck back. He’s so good with the puck and he’s such a smart player you kind of just try to create picks and let him do his thing and get to the net as much as possible. And then in the D zone it seems like he’s always on the right side of his guy."

Suzuki’s hockey sense is so good that he rarely takes any penalties. In fact, he’s been named the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL two seasons in a row and has a great chance at a three-peat considering he’s only taken two minors in 28 games with the Attack this season. 

"He doesn’t really need to be hooking or holding to get in position," said Anderson-Dolan, "because he’s always in the right spot and that’s something I’ve really noticed."

Suzuki actually took a tripping penalty against the Swiss so he's up to three minors on the season. Considering his relatively spotless record, Suzuki was asked to explain himself. 

"Just a lazy stick by me," he said smiling, "but try to move on from those and not to think about them too much."

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The fact Anderson-Dolan is able to play a significant role for Canada at the World Juniors is remarkable when you consider he broke his wrist on Oct. 27 that required surgery in early November. He returned just in time to play in the three pre- competition games before his Boxing Day debut. 

"It almost doesn't make sense how he’s doing what he does, to be honest with you," marveled Kisio. "To step up at this level having played the limited amount he's played ... it shows how big a pro he is, the preparation he's put in and the work he's been putting in off the ice."

Anderson-Dolan insists he feels no ill effects from the injury despite having his wrist wrapped during games.

"It’s been great," he said. "I’ve had no problems with it. It feels normal. I’ve, honestly, forgot it’s even there."

It certainly doesn't look like he's been hampered on the ice. 

"It's been working really good," Suzuki said of the line chemistry. "We're working the cycle really well. That's when we're at our best when we're causing a lot of havoc on the forecheck and down low."

 

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Anderson-Dolan and Smith, co-captains in Spokane, have been playing Rock, Paper, Scissors while walking out to ice before games at the World Juniors. What's that all about? 

"Me and Ty have done that since he was a 16-year-old in the WHL. We just got into it one day and we played well that game and ever since then we’ve done it," Anderson-Dolan explained. "And we have a little bet going, whoever wins buys coffee before the next game."

Who's got bragging rights in Vancouver? 

"I'm in his head right now, because I’ve won a couple in a row," Anderson-Dolan says with a grin. "But he’s definitely got in my head a couple times as well. It’s just a fun thing that keeps us loose before games."

 

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Comtois missed a few shifts in Saturday's game due to a shoulder issue and didn't speak with reporters after the game, because he was undergoing treatment. 

"As far as I know, he's good to go," Kisio said. 

That's good news for Canada, because their captain has already produced five goals and one assist. The left winger has also set a physical tone while managing to not cross the line and take bad penalties. It's an example his teammates have been following. 

"The Czechs were trying to get us to bite," Anderson-Dolan pointed out, "but we’ve talked since Day 1 about our discipline as a team and we did a good job of that even when they were trying to get in our face a bit."

Only Denmark (20 PIM) and the United States (18 PIM) have been penalized fewer times than Canada (24 PIM) so far.

"That's been something I've been really impressed with so far is our discipline and keeping our emotions in check," Kisio said. "It's not easy. There's 20,000 fans cheering and it's easy to get worked up, but our guys have done a good job sticking to the plan."

 

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Mikey DiPietro has looked very sharp so far, stopping 37 of 38 shots (.974 save percentage) at the World Juniors. How locked in is DiPietro right now? Well, he was even kicking himself for allowing the one goal on Saturday night despite the fact it was the result of a two-on-one rush. 

"I shouldn't have gone into the splits right away," DiPietro said while smiling and shaking his head. "I know what I did wrong right in the beginning. Unfortunately, I didn't stop that one." 

The Ottawa 67s goalie also sees room for improvement in another part of his game. 

"I think my puck touches can be better, making the D’s lives a little bit easier back there," DiPietro told TSN's Tessa Bonhomme. "They made my life pretty easy and I want to reciprocate. I never like seeing Bouch (Evan Bouchard) get hit like that twice so I got to get better with that."