Practice the y spiral backwards so even if you hit a bump, you won't get knocked off your foot. If you drag the toepick, that's okay. When you stretch off-ice, start with a high counter for your free leg. After a few weeks, you can use a wall to stretch upwards. Just make sure you have something to use for balance.
For the hydro blade, I'd suggest getting into the position off-ice and just stretching gently. The real difficulty is moving into and out of the position on the ice. That's less flexibility and more strength.
Whenever you stretch, first warm up thoroughly. Do jumping jacks or jump rope until you start to perspire, so that your muscles are warm and pliable.
Secondly, move into and out of the stretches slowly with no bouncing or yanking into position. If you force or push too hard, you could tear a muscle or ligament/tendon. Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds to allow the muscles to stretch easily and thoroughly. Fewer is better than too fast or too short. Regular stretching will bring progress.