The Toronto Maple Leafs were sporting a new look in practice on Monday now that Alexei Ponikarovsky is back up to speed and Pavel Kubina is almost ready to play.
Ponikarovsky, who returned from what turned out to be a groin injury in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, returned to the top line with centre Mats Sundin and right winger Nik Antropov at the Leafs' practice. Mark Bell, who filled in for him, went back to centre on the fourth line with Chad Kilger and Wade Belak.
Kubina, who suffered a knee injury on Nov. 10, took part in the regular drills with his teammates for the first time since his injury. He said he expects to be back in the lineup for the Leafs’ game on Thursday in New York against the Rangers.
Leafs head coach Paul Maurice, who leaned heavily on his top two defencemen, Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe in Kubina’s absence and will again on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, declined to say what he has in mind for Kubina. Before he was hurt, Kubina was playing his best hockey since joining the Leafs at the start of last season with 11 points in 18 games.
The trouble for Maurice is that Kubina was playing mostly with fellow Czech Tomas Kaberle. But McCabe did not turn around the poor start to his season until he was reunited with Kaberle.
What can be expected is the three of them will eat up most of the playing minutes for the defencemen. Either Andy Wozniewski or Staffan Kronwall will be scratched when Kubina is ready to play.
