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Canucksnaphook, aka MLHS’ Jonas Siegel, was on the scene today at Leafs practice and has notes, pictures and a little video for you lucky sons’a’guns after the jump.

Monday’s practice lines:

Lupul – Bozak – Kessel
MacArthur – Kadri – Kulemin
Connolly – Grabovski – JVR
McClement – Hamilton – Brown
Komarov – Lombardi – Frattin
Orr – Steckel – Aucoin

A few notes:

  • Forward Standouts: Kulemin, Lupul
  • Defensive Standouts: Kostka, Rielly (Dion always practices well, and Gunnar you don’t notice but nobody will ever complain about, either).
  • Forwards that were mediocre: Kessel (again being one of the last skaters in each skating session between drills).
  • Defense that were mediocre: Komisarek, Mottau (slowest by far of D-men today).
  • First hour was spent in front of the adoring crowd (who could barely muster a cheer when their beloved team came out onto the ice), doing puck movement drills and a series of man on man drills.
  • Second hour on rink #2 for PP, PK work that was closed to the fans. Media, Staff, and Yours Truly were allowed in to observe.
  • JVR is clearly behind trying to learn a new system at this pace. Not that he looks bad, just tentative to make a mistake with new line mates. McClement looked to be an upgrade on PK assignments and must be in excellent shape as he never seems to fatigue.
  • During a 3 on 2 drill: Grabovski went offside at the blue line. Carlyle stopped practice and berated the entire group about how making that mistake is unacceptable this year.
  • The “bag skate” at the end of the practice was one of the most painful and intense looking sessions I have ever witnessed first hand. At the end Carlyle barks, “this is it.. the last one. Anybody getting left behind ensures the entire group does it again.” Kulemin probably skated the fastest in that group. He is looking in mid-season shape. Dion skated so hard today that it looked like he was going to puke by the end of practice. Leadership by example.
  • Ran into GM Dave Nonis in the stairway – he tells MLHS fans that he is, “excited to get the season started and back on the ice”.

A few pictures (click to enlarge) and some video:

leafspractice1

leafspractice2

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A peek at a special teams drill:

IMG 0085 from Alec Brownscombe on Vimeo.

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