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| Dumoulin (left) and Leblond (right) prepare for some 1-on-1 battles in the corner. |
The news of the day is that Brian Dumoulin returned to the ice and practiced with the team today and was paired with rookie Nick D'Agostino. With a full week of practice, I don't see why Dumoulin wouldn't be ready for the AHL Pens' next game Saturday night. He got a physical test after practice as he battled forward Pierre-Luc Leblond with some 1-on-1 battles in the corners and behind the goal line.
I noticed today that Leblond, the Penguins 'Mustache Boy' for October is only eight days into the month and the mustache is already coming in nicely. I'm not sure if he was joking about it coming off the ice today, but Leblond said he couldn't wait for November and the chance to keep it growing for "Movember".
Peter Merth exited practice early today and did not return. Bobby Farnham and Peter Mannino didn't skate today either, though Wheeling Nailers beat writer Shawn Rine tweeted today that Mannino will be in the Nailers lineup tomorrow night.
The forward lines were tinkered with a little bit, as the two guys who scored a pair of goals in last Saturday's 5-2 win over Bridgeport, that being Harry Zolnierczyk and Chris Conner, swapped lines.
Adam Payerl, who was scratched in the season opener, took Paul Thompson's spot on the line with Nick Drazenovic and team captain Tom Kostopoulos. Interesting to see Thompson rotated in on the fourth line today, while PTO forward Mike Carman was rotated in on the third line.
There's still three more practices the rest of this week leading up to Saturday's home opener, and I'm sure the lines will change between now and then. But here's what I jotted down at practice today:
Kuhnhackl - Ebbett - Zolnierczyk
Payerl - Drazenovic - Kostopoulos
Megna/Carman - Gibbons - Conner
Leblond/Thompson - Sill - Uher
Despres - Samuelsson
Mikkelson - Harrington
D'Agostino - Dumoulin
McNeill - Merth
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