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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs practised at the MasterCard Centre on Sunday. 

- Patrick Marleau's son Landon will turn 11 later this month so Sunday may have doubled as an early birthday present. Landon joined his dad and other Leafs on the ice before and after practice. He even got his own stall with a nameplate in the dressing room right beside his dad. 

"He might have a harder shot than I do," Nazem Kadri said with a laugh. "So, he’s a pretty good little player and you can definitely see the potential he’s got.”

“He looks like his dad out there," agreed Tyler Bozak, "so if he’s anything like that he’ll be in for a nice career.”

Marleau would be happy if any of his kids followed in his footsteps.

“Basically all my best friendships are through hockey," the 38-year-old said. "Just being on a team, being part of an atmosphere, I think it’s something special to enjoy and have fun with.”

But Bozak wasn't so sure if he wants his young son Kanon playing in the NHL.

"Going to put the golf club in his hand first, I think," he said with a smile. "Hopefully he strays that way. No injuries in golf, a little easier on the body. But he loves hockey and just watching us play and everything. He always wants to play at home and I’m sure it’s something that he'll take up.”

Marleau has four sons, but Landon was the only one to take him up on the offer to go to a rare Sunday practice. 

“If they see it on TV they’re going to be a little bit jealous, yeah," he said. "I don’t think they knew that was going to happen. They’ll probably be kicking themselves that they didn’t come.”

- The presence of Marleau's son led to a light-hearted feel before practice, but head coach Mike Babcock was quick to crack the whip once things got going. Toronto has scored 15 goals in two victories, but squandered a 5-1 lead on Saturday against the Rangers before recovering to win 8-5.  

-Twelve players have combined to score the 15 Leafs goals while 17 different players have at least one point.

“It’s important that guys score early, they can relax," Babcock said. "In saying all that, come on, it’s like a fantasy tour. It’s going to be real here.”

It will feel very real on Monday night when the Blackhawks, who have also scored 15 goals in two wins, pay a visit to the Air Canada Centre. 

“It’s nice that you can score goals, but you got to be able to play without it and you have to take care of it when you have it so you don’t put yourself in so many bad situations," Babcock said. "Obviously, the difference between us and them is they’ve only given up two.”

- Jake Gardiner scored a beautiful goal on an end-to-end rush on the power play against the Rangers and also set up the game-winning goal in the third period. But, in the second period, Gardiner made some ill-advised forays up the ice despite Toronto owning a big lead. A reporter asked Babcock if that's something he has to live with. 

“You don’t have to live with that, no, not at all," the coach said. "There’s a right time for everything and we want to be offensive, but we also want to know the score and the time on the clock and all those things and make good decisions. He got a little carried away just like the rest of us did in the second period last night.”

The players have heard the message loud and clear even if they admit the opening couple games have been quite enjoyable. 

“It’s very fun," Kadri said, before adding, "Fun for players. Not so much for coaches ... That’s something you can’t really expect every single game for 80 games. Teams are going to catch on and find ways to try and shut you down so we have to tighten up defensively.”

The trio of James van Riemsdyk, Bozak and Mitch Marner was on the ice for all three of New York's even-strength goals on Saturday. 

"We don't need to turn it over as much," Bozak said. "Some small details in the D zone (need to be cleaned up), but other than that we're happy with where we're at ... I mean, when you're up 5-1 it's hard to play the right way and I think we got away from the way we want to play."

What sort of game is he expecting on Monday considering how both teams have scored early on? 

"God, I don't know," Bozak said with a chuckle. "Hopefully not as high-scoring as the last couple in our end for sure."

- Defenceman Connor Carrick missed practice on Sunday with an undisclosed issue. "He's not doing as good today, but we think he’s fine," said Babcock. Andreas Borgman skated in Carrick's usual spot alongside fellow Swede Calle Rosen.  

 

Lines at Sunday's Leafs practice: 

Forwards 

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander 
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov 
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner 
Martin-Moore-Brown 
Leivo, Fehr 

Defence

Rielly-Hainsey 
Gardiner-Zaitsev 
Rosen-Borgman
Polak 

Goalies

Andersen 
McElhinney