the 27th in Philadelphia

TORONTO -- Joffrey Lupul knows he shouldnt have pushed it. Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Outlet . When the Toronto Maple Leafs winger with a history of lower-back issues felt the area tighten up before training camp started, he acknowledged rest would have been the best approach. When he tried to skate through it, the spasms cost him a week of time on the ice with teammates. But after Lupul got through his first practice Wednesday, he was confident that mistake wont set him back too much as he tried to prepare for the start of the regular season. "Obviously not the way I wanted to start the camp, but just happy everythings feeling better now," Lupul said. "Were taking it slow. Its obviously not the same way youd probably treat an injury in the regular season. Its good that way. I guess times on my side." Barring a flare-up of back problems, Lupul is expected to get some pre-season games in before the Leafs visit the Montreal Canadiens for opening night Oct. 1. Starting with Thursdays game at the Ottawa Senators, they have six left, so there are plenty of opportunities. But Lupuls focus is on getting ready for games that matter. In that regard, Wednesdays practice -- which lasted almost two full hours -- shed some light on what Torontos forward lines could look like. He skated on left wing with centre Tyler Bozak and right-winger Phil Kessel, a line that spent limited time together last season because the 29-year-old Lupul played just 16 games due to a broken arm and concussion. James van Riemsdyk and David Clarkson skated together, though Nazem Kadri seems more likely to centre that line than Joe Colborne once things get underway. David Bolland between Mason Raymond and Nikolai Kulemin is also a possibility for the third line. "Im not exactly sure whos going to be playing with who," Lupul said. "Im sure well be mixed and matched a little throughout the year, but I think its a good mixture of speed and size. Weve added some grit, and hopefully for some guys, some experience." Some size was lacking from Leafs practice, given that enforcers Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren didnt skate with teammates. Orr, who has missed the start of camp with a leg bone bruise, skated before practice and could join team workouts over the weekend, according to coach Randy Carlyle. McLaren is out at least two weeks with a fractured right pinky finger. Lupul is fortunate that he doesnt have to sit out that length of time with back problems, and Carlyle expects him to be available for pre-season duty soon. After playing the Senators, the Leafs have a home-and-home series with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and Sunday, which gives the team and Lupul some options. "Hopefully the back spasm issues are behind him," Carlyle said. "Hes moving much better, felt much better and we think hes an option for us in the next couple exhibition games." Joking that he wanted to mimic former NBA star Allen Iversons famous rant about practices not being games, Lupul isnt stressed about coming out strong whenever he makes his pre-season debut. "Everyones focus is on Oct. 1, mine included," he said. "This isnt the time to really push through an injury, and were not treating it like we would if it was the regular season or playoffs or anything right now. Its just making sure that everythings 100 per cent. Were being a lot more cautious than typically you would." Once games count, dont expect Lupul to be noticeably more cautious because of the various injuries that have at times derailed his career. "Obviously you want to try and stay healthy, but youve also got to stick with what got you there and what makes you successful," Lupul said. "I think it would be a mistake to stay you cant go to the front of the net or cant get in the way of pucks or anything like that. Im hoping to just have a little better luck, and well see." Carlyle acknowledged theres "probably some merit" to the idea that Lupul goes into high-risk areas, but hes not demanding change. "I wouldnt say it has to be toned down," Carlyle said. "I think that he has to pick and choose, maybe, a little bit more, I guess, cautiously in some situations. I think what happened with him was more the fact that he was frustrated with his injuries and then trying to come back and make an impact right away." This time, Lupul can ease back in. He went full tilt in the first half of Wednesdays practice but was held out of the second half as planned. "At this stage in the season youre taking it slow and make sure youre feeling good for Oct. 1," Lupul said. "Theres still plenty of time till opening day." Notes: Troy Bodie missed practice with an oblique strain, according to Carlyle. ... The Leafs cut down to 34 players in camp by assigning forward Tyler Biggs and defenceman Jesse Blacker to the AHLs Marlies. Custom Chargers Jerseys . LUCIE, Fla. Cheap Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Online . Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 points as the Jazz had seven players with 10 points or more in Utahs largest margin of victory this season. http://www.cheapchargers.us/ . Torres scored the first goal by an English team in the knockout phase of the Champions League this season when he met Cezar Azpilicuetas cutback in the ninth minute of their first leg match in the last 16. But Chelsea failed to make the most of its counterattacks and the Turkish champions equalized in the second half after gaining in confidence and cutting out their defensive mistakes.[Credit: National Post] But here, two decades later, we have labour peace and the sport is perhaps at the peak of its international visibility and popularity. So how should Bettman and his owners spend the summer? Perhaps they should learn from the successes of this postseason, and tweak the game accordingly. The NHL playoffs were fast skating, hard hitting hockey highlighted by skill and spectacular goaltending. And there was but one fight, and not even the most ardent supporter of fighting in hockey could argue fisticuffs were missed. I understand the regular season is a long slog through winter, but do we want a sport where unnecessary violence breaks up the monotony? Especially when weve been witness to the majesty of the sport in its absence? Im not saying take fighting out of the game, but Colton Orr and George Parros are unnecessary elements of the sport.[Credit: ESPN] The hockey entity most in need of this summer break is the expansive community of punditry, from the media (both mainstream and not, though the line between the two becomes more and more blurred with each passing season) to the social media inclined fan. On Monday I witnessed an obsessive and rhetorically flawed argument on Twitter over the rumoured re-signing of Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise. Was he signed? Should he be signed? Was the term good for the cap? Who did and did not celebrate his acquisition from the Canucks for Raphael Diaz. French media versus English media versus fan versus blogger, all desperately lacking humility in their arguments. When the Habs officially announced a deal on a two-year contract extension with Weise Tuesday morning (for the exact term and dollar amount reported and endlessly disseminated Monday) the futile aand superfluous argument began anew. Authentic Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys. I mean, over a fourth line winger? Paul DiPietro never received this kind of attention. Neither did Weises concussion, but thats a story the media will ignore another day.[Credit: NY Times] While social media and universal web access has taken the discourse to an inclusive realm, it has created an obsessive and pathologically invested fanbase and a media that stretches itself thin to fulfill the 24-hour new cycle. Take a breath folks. Go outside. Do something extraordinary. Expand your horizons. Go love up on a Bruins fan. Take a day at the beach. Spend a week without checking hockeydb.com or capgeek.com. Leave the sport alone for a few minutes. Itll still be there when you get back.The seasons not quite over yet. This week the NHLs 30 teams will consider buyouts to prepare their caps for next season. On June 22nd the 2014-15 schedule will be released so that we can all plan our November Saturdays accordingly. On the 24th, the NHL Awards ceremony takes place, where scarred players freshly relieved of their playoff beards wonder quietly who George Stroumboulopoulos is. The draft takes place on the weekend of the 27th in Philadelphia, which will ignite the hotstove and fuel dreams of parades and revelry. July 1st, Canada Day, a day we should all be out drinking Labatt 50 in the sun and launching bottle rockets recklessly into the night, finds much of the hockey world inside watching TV and waiting to see which albatross of a contract will be bought out in the summer of 2018. And then nothing until September, beautiful autumn, summer fading into the promise a new season, when all teams in first place, except the Oilers, who will be tied with the Flames for 30th. 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