Why Kirill Marchenko took paws after two hectic days as a Maple Leaf

The ginger cat made the trip from Columbus aboard agent Dan Milstein’s private jet.

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When not skating with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, Kirill Marchenko loves playing with Alex.

That would be his 1 1/2 year-old ginger cat, who made the trip from Columbus with the new Leaf and wife Viktoria aboard agent Dan Milstein’s private jet. Marchenko said he needed the quality down time with Alex on Thursday’s team day off, following back-to-back games and the whole family packing up with three hours’ notice for their new life in Toronto with a six-year contract extension.

“It was a little break, play with my cat and try not to think about hockey much,” Marchenko said Friday, following his first practice as a Leaf. “My wife is here, they (both) support and help me, it’s important for sure.

“Now the next couple of days we’re focused on finding an apartment or house here and move in.”

Marchenko’s support system at the rink includes former Blue Jackets teammate Roslovic, who has brought him up to speed on everything from the Leaf system to negotiating Toronto traffic, and Russian countryman Sergei Bobrovsky.

On the Roslovic topic, Marchenko insists he’s fine as a right shot left winger. While many project him as the new Mitch Marner, he’s good to stay in Matthew Knies’ former spot while Roslovic stays where he has been through camp, on Matthews’s starboard.

“I grew up as left winger until I turned 22,” insisted Marchenko. “It’s my side most of my life and only in the NHL did I start to play right.”

Coach Jim Hiller just wants the whole line to get the puck deeper with more offensive-zone cycles. When it was suggested that Easton Cowan will soon earn a promotion from the third line after three points, Hiller reminded it was very early.

“We like the line (Cowan with Nick Paul and Colton Sissons), we don’t want to over-think things.”

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