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. 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. Romelu Lukaku Belgium Jersey . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. Adnan Januzaj Jersey .C. - Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek says guard Goran Dragic will return to the starting lineup against the Charlotte Hornets after missing the last two games with a strained back. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Michy-Batshuayi-Belgium-Jersey/ . The 49ers, 6-2 and riding a five-game winning streak following the bye week, also waived cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and activated cornerback Eric Wright from the reserve/non-football injury list. Manningham made 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown in 12 games and 10 starts last season before injuring his left knee in a loss at Seattle Dec. Custom Belgium Soccer Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Simon Mignolet Jersey .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown.DENVER - Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer and Franklin Morales pitched effectively into the sixth inning, helping the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 Tuesday night. Morales (5-4) turned in another solid outing since being reinserted into the starting rotation on July 3. The lefty surrendered four hits and one run before being removed for a reliever with two outs in the sixth. Tyson Ross (7-9) was just as sharp, his only mistake a slider up in the zone to Blackmon in the third. Ross went six innings and allowed six hits. Ross made the All-Star team, but wont pitch since hes scheduled to start Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will attend the festivities. Blackmon, also making his first appearance at the Midsummer Classic, had a double to go with his 13th homer of the season. Rene Rivera homered for the Padres in the sixth. Chris Denorfia had three hits. Colorados bullpen held San Diegos bats at bay over the final three innings to preserve the win for Morales. It was just the fourth victory by a Rockies starter in the last 25 games and first by someone other than Jorge De La Rosa over that stretch. The Rockies received a scare in the ninth when left fielder Corey Dickerson rolled over his wrist trying to make a diving catch on pinch-hitter Seth Smiths two-out double. Dickerson stayed in the game after being checked on by a trainer and manager Walt Weiss. LaTroy Hawkins got the next batter, Denorfiia, to fly out to end the game and earn his 16th save in 17 chances.dddddddddddd Morales started the season in the rotation, but was bumped to the bullpen after a shaky stretch. The Rockies made him a starter again out of necessity when Christian Bergman went out with a fractured left wrist. The 27-year-old Morales has a 1.69 ERA in his last two starts. Morales cruised along until walking two batters in the fourth. He struck out Cameron Maybin to wiggle out of the situation. Blackmon gave the Rockies all the runs they would need when he hit a two-run homer into the seats in right. It was his first homer in nearly a month. Denorfia led off the game with a double, only to be stranded when Morales struck out the side. Blackmon was left on base after a leadoff double, too. Ross struck out two of three, including Troy Tulowitzki on a called third strike that froze the All-Star shortstop. NOTES: The Padres will go for their first series win at Coors Field in two years on Wednesday. LHP Eric Stults (3-11) goes for the Padres while the Rockies counter with RHP Jair Jurrjens (0-1), who experienced tightness in his chest after his last start at Coors on the Fourth of July. ... Ross and Morales both threw 98 pitches, 63 for strikes. ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez (left index finger) could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday. Hes been out since June 4. ... RHP Eddie Butler (rotator cuff) threw around 60 pitches in a simulated game Tuesday. ' ' '