TORONTO - For most of his Maple Leafs career he played with one partner and for most of his NHL career he played on one side. [url=https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/3228u-george-hendrick-jersey-ind ians.html]George Hendrick Jersey[/url] . Dion Phaneuf is doing neither this season. Carl Gunnarsson, l

TORONTO - For most of his Maple Leafs career he played with one partner and for most of his NHL career he played on one side. George Hendrick Jersey . Dion Phaneuf is doing neither this season. Carl Gunnarsson, long the Toronto captains partner on the teams top pair, was dealt to St. Louis in the summer and Phaneuf, amid that offseason of upheaval, was moved to the mostly unfamiliar left side. Thus, the Leafs are boasting a new-look top pair this season, one that includes Phaneuf on the left and Cody Franson, now in his sixth NHL season, on the right. The results thus far - and its still quite early - have been encouraging. Phaneufs even-strength possession numbers have spiked more than 10 percentage points from last season (51.5 per cent Fenwick) and those same underlying numbers look even better with Franson - Stephane Robidas started the year there before moving down the lineup. Its all helped in the Leafs slow push to becoming a better possession team. The 29-year-old Phaneuf is still squaring off against some very difficult competition - he faced the most challenging action of any defender last year - but isnt being buried as consistently in the defensive zone - up to 42 per cent offensive zone starts. Head coach, Randy Carlyle has made use of the newly added Roman Polak in the most defensive of situations - not to mention rookie Stuart Percy - thereby sparing Phaneuf from some of the heavy burden he assumed a year ago. Maple Leafs general manager, Dave Nonis, conceded on July 1st - after the team had landed Polak and then Robidas with a three-year deal in free agency - that Phaneuf could move to his strong side in the coming year and while Phaneuf concedes to an ongoing adjustment, he believes its been overblown some in the early weeks this fall. He spoke to TSN.ca about those challenges and the differences of playing with a new partner this season. SIEGEL: New partner, new side, whats been more difficult in terms of that adjustment? PHANEUF: To be completely honest with you, I think its been a good adjustment. It was a little bit different earlier in training camp shifting to the left side; that was a little bit of an adjustment early in camp. But now I feel very comfortable. Its something that I feel thats there more attention paid to than there should be, because the reality of it is that, yeah, Im playing a different side, but Ive played there before and I feel very comfortable there now. SIEGEL: Well, I guess the argument goes that you played the right your whole career or most of your career, [defensive] routes are different, you see the ice differently, it should be difficult… PHANEUF: Yeah, I havent found it difficult to switch. It was an adjustment early in camp. But as soon as I got through the first few exhibition games Ive felt more comfortable game after game. But now Im used to playing that side now. Now if I go back to the other side it feels a little bit different. SIEGEL: Really? PHANEUF: Yeah, so Im comfortable playing that side. And then when you have a new partner theres always an adjustment period, but I feel that me and Franny have built some real good chemistry early. Frannys a guy who sees the ice really well, he moves the puck really well and hes a big guy. Ive really enjoyed playing with him. We want to keep building. Partnerships and being defensive partners, theres lots that go into it; you want to communicate; you want to know each others tendencies and were still learning that. But overall, I feel really good about how weve played together and how were working on getting better together every day. SIEGEL: Well, you had said in camp that you just wanted to build those reps. Ive got all the game-logs and you played with Gunnarsson almost exclusively from the time you got here, you cant really replicate that experience… PHANEUF: Whether youre a forward or defenceman, a forward line that has played together a long time or a defensive pairing thats played together a long time, you have a lot of chemistry. You know what youre partner is going to do, where hes going to be, you read off each other - thats a big thing too is reading off of each other - where you want to support the guy, how you can support him, how he can support you. And I feel that me and Franny are working on that stuff. It is a process, but I feel that theres been a lot of positives early. SIEGEL: Overall, can you feel that youre spending less time in your own end, because the numbers suggest that? [Pause] PHANEUF: When you have a new partner and youre adjusting to playing with someone else its about playing and feeling as comfortable as you as quick as you can. I feel that weve done that. We obviously want to keep working on it, but I feel weve done lots of good things. Frannys a guy who talks a lot, he moves the puck very well, its been great playing with him. SIEGEL: Just going back to camp and the adjustment [to the left side], was it more [difficult] defensively or seeing the ice? PHANEUF: The two biggest adjustments were one, when youre moving the puck and youre breaking the puck out there is more of an advantage when youre playing your strong side because its always on your forehand. I found that part of it a positive. The other big adjustment, as a d-man, youve got shutdown areas on the ice where you like to focus on pinching guys off and angles and different spots that youre used to going to and that was an adjustment switching from one side to the other. And seeing and receiving rushes was a little bit different on the left side. SIEGEL: Its backwards right? PHANEUF: Yeah, its completely opposite, but that was early in camp and I feel really comfortable now on the left side. Steve Olin Jersey . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Chico Salmon Jersey . Lawrie was hit on the hand by Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Cueto in the second inning of Sundays 4-3 loss to the Reds. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/ . -- With Tony Allen back, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to turn up their defence pressure and hold off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch.TORONTO - FIFA has launched the latest salvo in defence of artificial turf at the 2015 Womens World Cup in Canada.In an article on FIFA.com, FIFA consultant Eric Harrison says artificial turf is a credible alternative to natural turf.And Harrison says artificial turf makes sense for Canadas climate.In countries like Canada, where most of the country experiences extremely harsh winters, preparing high quality natural turf venues is a challenge ... A late winter would bring incredible pressure to bear on preparing such grounds for the Women’s World Cup, he said.The majority of stadiums in Canada have accepted that only football turf is a credible surface to meet the demands of the weather and usage to which they wish to subject the fields.FIFA rules permit the use of artificial turf provided it meets certain standards.The world governing body of soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, in its role as the tournaments national organizing committee, have been forced on the defensive over the World Cup playing surface via a lawsuit filed by a group of elite female players.The complaint is currently before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, which is mulling over a request from the women for an expedited hearing.Harrison, described by FIFA as an independent consultant, was part of the recent FIFA inspection tour that visited World Cup venues in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.In the interview, Harrison touches on a major platform of the womens complaint, that they are being discriminated against since the mens World Cup has always taken place on grass. If there was a climatic condition that warranted its usage, I would recommend it for the mens World Cup as it is currently already used in World Cup qualifiers, Champions League games and many leading football leagues. Harrison said. If it suffices for this elite level then it is obviously suitable for elite football competition.Hampton Dellinger, lawyer for the players group, dismissed Harrisons arguments. Mr. Harrisons longstanding ties to FIFA undercut any claim that he is independent, Dellinger said in a statement Friday. And his refusal to acknowledge the problems with plastic pitches in matches such as Andorra-Wales or the success of premier temporary grass fields at Womens Euro 2013 suggest hes not the expert FIFA claims him to be.For anyone to suggest that the mens World Cup would be played on fields likened to concrete such as B.C. Place is laughable.The World Cup final is scheduled for B.C. Place.The women want temporary grass surfaces installled, or, where available, have games moved to venues with real grass. Oscar Gamble Jersey. Harrison also says laying a temporary grass surface over turf has not been successful due to the inability of the natural turf to form a stable surface.This can be dangerous to players as unsure footing results in players being cautious of how they move and turn on the surface, and in the worst-case scenario it can result in slippage of the boot on the surface, leading to overstretching of ankle ligaments and potential ACL injuries.While FIFA permits play on sanctioned turf, grass remains players preferred surface. Harrison seemed to touch on that in a indirect way.Football turf is a credible alternative, but if a good quality natural turf surface exists then embrace it, use it, enjoy it, Harrison concluded. However, if it is not possible to grow and maintain good quality natural turf for whatever reason, then football turf is a good alternative and its increased usage verifies this position.The CSA has retained a consultant of its own to test the World Cup playing surfaces to determine they meet FIFA standards. Those results are expected in early 2015.FIFAs executive committee has already ratified the decision to use artificial turf pitches at the tournament.Tatjana Haenni, FIFAs deputy director of the competitions division and head of womens competitions, delivered FIFAs position in person during the recent inspection trip when she said there was no Plan B.Harrison argues that preparing natural grass is particularly challenging in countries like Canada that have severe weather conditions.The fields in these northern latitudes are generally in poor condition after a long winter, with the natural turf appearing brown after many months without sunlight because they have been covered in snow. Furthermore, the effects of frost heave can leave many natural turf surfaces uneven, requiring extensive relevelling. Often, it is not until July/August that the natural turf has recovered sufficiently to be deemed to be in optimum condition.BMO Field in Toronto was just such a case this year after a long winter.Harrison took aim at another player argument, citing studies which concluded that the game at elite level was essentially the same on both football turf and natural turf.Harrison studied polymer science at Liverpool University and has a PhD from Loughborough University. He has served as chairman of the European Standards Committee on Sports Surfaces.The 24-team Womens World Cup runs June 6 through July 7.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter ' ' '