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The Toronto Maple Leafs went through their paces on Day 2 of training camp at the Gale Centre Arena in Niagara Falls, ON on Saturday, emphasizing on getting players more familiar with new teammates and potential linemates.
“(We are) just getting guys up to speed. It’s Day 2, and guys do not last very long as much as they’ve trained. We’ve got to get used to playing, running into each other and competing, but I think we are going in the right direction.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.
Nazem Kadri returned after a minor injury kept him off the ice on the first day of workouts and skated with Leo Komarov. It is a new look for the combo that played all of last season together, as Komarov shifts to the right side to accommodate the 19-year NHL veteran Patrick Marleau.
“(Marleau) has that speed and with Leo on the opposite side, it gives us that grit and physicality, so I think it all mixes well.… Kadri said. “It won’t take (Leo) long (to adjust to the move), he has played the right side before. I has been awhile, so it might be a little awkward and a little rusty at first, but Leo is usually pretty good at making things up at the fly.…
William Nylander in the shootout at training camp. #Leafs pic.twitter.com/jY4DRQyUUC
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) September 16, 2017
The scrimmage featured a matchup between the new unit and the line of Zach Hyman, Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Matthews scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Team Blue win over Team White.
“It was great (skating against them). They have those young legs, and they like to skate, but that’s our team identity.… Kadri said. “Through the depth of our lineup, that’s what we like to do, we like to skate teams into the ice and make it a long night.…
Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev was excused for a second straight day, as his wife Margo gave birth to a baby girl on Friday, while defenseman Roman Polak participated in drills, but did not take part in the late morning scrimmage for the second straight day.
James van Riemsdyk shooting on Garret Sparks on Day 2 of #Leafs camp at Gale Centre Arena. pic.twitter.com/4AlBNvjEcj
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) September 16, 2017
The tandem of Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey continued to get used to each other as defense partners and appear to be Babcock’s go-to pairing when the regular season begins in Winnipeg on October 4, but the two blueliners have known that was the plan of the Leafs head coach as far back as early July, when the Stanley Cup winner signed a two-year, $6 Million deal with Toronto.
“(Right after Hainsey was signed) was when (Babcock) called me and said you are playing with him.… Rielly joked. “I had no idea when we signed him (that was the plan), me and him got him got in touch and I think it was right around the 4th of July, he was away with his family. We talked briefly and then (Babcock) called me a couple days later. It was a pretty short conversation.…
The Leafs will workout on Sunday in Niagara Falls before embarking on their eight-game exhibition schedule in Ottawa on Monday.
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