Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys .ca. Hi Kerry, So Shawn Thornton gets a slap on the wrist for the water squirting incident - a childish, unsportsmanlike and potentially dangerous act, but players can get two minutes for spraying the goalie with snow when sometimes inadvertently just trying to stop quickly? In your opinion, should the NHL ever consider taking a more serious look at such actions and add them as an infraction in the rule book? Mike Cimba Mike: The Player Safety Committee should be commended for their swift action to impose the maximum permitted fine under the CBA ($2,820.52) against Shawn Thornton for his childish, television viewer unsightly, unsportsmanlike and potentially dangerous act of water bottle squirting at PK Subban. I am quite sure an incident of this nature will never happen again given the maximum allowable supplementary discipline and public humiliation that has been imposed against Thornton (sic sarcasm intended). Now that this bug on the visor of Subban has been wiped clean and severely dealt with, perhaps the PSC, Hockey Operations and the Officiating Department can focus their attention on more important issues that have been continually exposed to this point in the playoffs? For starters Mike, additional rules dont need to written until the ones that already exist are more consistently enforced; or even just applied. If the referee determined that Subban had been legitimately interfered with by a spray from a water bottle in Thorntons hands (Heaven forbid) the ref could have applied a broad interpretation to rule 56.2: a minor penalty shall be imposed on any identifiable player on the players bench or penalty bench who, by means of his stick or his body, interferes with the movements of the puck or any opponent on the ice during the progress of the play (Thorntons hands are attached to his body). Likewise, the same rule 75 - unsportsmanlike conduct, that is applied (sometimes) against a player deemed guilty of deliberately snow-showering a goalie could also be imposed in the case of a player deliberately squirting water in the face of his opponent. With the multitude of infractions that are being let go throughout extended portions of these games I cant imagine any referee imposing a penalty for this squirt of liquid. With regard to player safety however, it appears to be a serious and unwanted element of the game. So too was diving/embellishment once upon a time. Embellishment was deemed a plague within the game and language was added to rule 64.3 that provided authority for Hockey Operations to review game videos and assess fines to players who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury regardless if a penalty was called on the ice. The punishment for the first such offence during the season will result in a warning letter being sent to the player. The second such incident will result in a $1,000 fine. For the third such incident in the season, the player shall be suspended for one game, pending a telephone conversation with the Director of Hockey Operations. For subsequent violations in the same season, the players suspension shall double (i.e. first suspension - one game, second suspension - two games, third suspension - four games, etc.) When was the last time you read that a player had been fined for diving/embellishment let alone suspended? I have seen some known offenders embellish as many as three times in one game during these playoffs. Im not suggesting for a second that players should be suspended for the letter of the law that this rule empowers Hockey Operations. What I am suggesting is to focus on the real important issues beyond a squirt from a water bottle. Lets start with an acceptable and expected standard of enforcement from the referees throughout a playoff game that is more consistent with those employed during the regular season. The rulebook has not changed from the regular season but the application and standard of enforcement by most of the referees clearly has. Powerful stick slashes that broke a players stick was almost always called; as the playoffs progress they are seldom called and have even resulted in goals being scored. Obvious infractions have been let go; major infractions have been let go or deemed to be a minor penalty. The latest such example was the major boarding infraction by Brandon Bollig on Keith Ballard that was deemed to be a minor penalty by the referee on the ice. Bollig was subsequently and correctly suspended for two games by the Player Safety Committee for this dangerous hit that injured Ballard. As far as I am concerned they got in wrong by not responding in kind to the chicken-wing elbow delivered by Jared Spurgeon of the Wild to the head of Marcus Kruger. Kruger was pulling his upper body back and up after shooting the puck on goal. Spurgeon was going to miss his intended check and responded by leaving his skates and extending his elbow to initiate contact with the head of Kruger. Kruger staggered of the ice and went directly to be evaluated in the quiet of the Hawks dressing room. Spearing incidents and howdy-dos between the legs have on occasion resulted in the assessment of penalties. Sidney Crosby provided a pretty good howdy to Dominic Moore that went un-penalized and resulted in a scrum at the end of the second period in yesterdays Rangers 3-1 win over the Penguins. In an attempt to keep all things in perspective, it would appear that a squirt off the bench with a water bottle will result in the maximum allowable fine being levied by the Player Safety Committee. Perhaps just a letter to Thornton would have sufficed; all things being equal? Cheap Toronto Maple Leafs Jerseys . The Richmond, B.C., native added eight rebounds and was named the tournaments most valuable player as the top-seeded Ravens defended their 2011 championship. "The biggest thing is to win the whole thing as a team," said Scrubb. Cheap Bolton Wanderers Jerseys . Bergmann, who came ninth in Bad Gastein a year ago for his only previous top-10 result, defeated Andreas Prommegger of Austria in the final of the single-run format. Aaron March of Italy finished third by beating Sebastian Kislinger of Austria.TORONTO - The chip on his shoulder was evident a year ago. Determined to prove his worth as a top-six forward after a frustrating three and a half years in Buffalo, Clarke MacArthur set career-highs in Toronto last season, finishing with 21 goals, 41 assists, and 62 points. The 26-year-old was rewarded for his efforts in the offseason, inking a two-year contract with the Leafs worth $3.25 million per season. The chip hasnt gone away though. Now MacArthur is out to prove that last season was no fluke, but only the beginning of what is to come. "I want to prove that what I did last year isnt a one-time thing," said MacArthur. "I dont want to let my guard down at all." Achieving near-instant chemistry with linemates Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin, MacArthur was the picture of consistency in 2010-11, never going more than four games without a point. Even when droughts hit in the goal department – such as the 14-game slide through much of November and early December – the assists were still there – nine during that particular stretch. "If I wasnt scoring those two were scoring and thats huge," said MacArthur, who led the team in assists and was second in points. "You dont really lose your confidence that way; youre still making plays that guys are scoring on and youre still feeling confident out there." Grabovski and Kulemin each reveled in success with MacArthur, each enjoying career offensive campaigns. The 27-year-old Grabovski scored 29 goals and 58 points, while the 25-year-old Kulemin – whom MacArthur calls the "model guy on our line" – hit the 30-goal mark for the first time. Chemistry made its way off the ice too. The trio even took to wearing matching, blue and white energy bracelets, an idea hatched up by MacArthur. "I think thats a big part of it too," he said. "We know we have each others back on the ice. "We like to talk about hockey a lot and figure out ways to make the game easier. Its just always helpful when you can all get along." Expectations for the line have only heightened this fall. Even with Tim Connolly added to a new-look top line that includes Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, pressures on the MacArthur trio to produce remain high. "We want to do much of the same," MacArthur explained. "I thought we did a pretty good job shutting down top lines when we played against them last year. And thats another thing I like doing; its just a good challenge to play against top lines and try out-work them. Obviously point-wise, all we can do is work hard. You hope you get the same opportunities as you did the year before. We would love to have the same kind of numbers and obviously we want to just be a solid line. wholesale jerseys. " The challenge lies in repetition. -- Jake Gardiners NHL readiness will be put to the test in the coming days. The Leafs are anxious to see how the former University of Wisconsin star responds against a higher form of NHL competition. "Hes going to play a lot in the next ten days to see how ready he is," said Ron Wilson. "This is like a pass/fail exam; you either pass or you fail. You dont have one bad night and get gonged. Weve seen so many good things in our scrimmages, the rookie tournament and these couple of exhibition games hes been in so we have to keep testing him." Gardiners world-class skating ability has certainly been on display in the early going, but his offensive IQ and defensive readiness remain under the microscope. The Marlies seem to present the most likely option - what with a crowded Leafs blue-line - but if his strong performance continues, the decision will become that much more difficult for Wilson. -- Another blue-liner fighting for a job this fall is 24-year-old Carl Gunnarsson. Duking it out with the likes of Mike Komisarek, Cody Franson and the aforementioned Gardiner, Gunnarsson is earning positive reviews thus far. "Hes in a battle and I wasnt sure how he would respond to that," admitted Wilson prior to Fridays game against Buffalo. "But hes played really well. Hes been arguably one of the better defencemen out there in the couple of games that hes played." "The competition is really tough," said Gunnarsson. "I really want a spot on this team and [to] play as many games as possible. Coming into this camp I felt really confident with my own game, remembering from what I did the last half of last year. Just try to carry that with me into camp here. So far I think Ive done a pretty good job." Gunnarsson struggled in the early months of his sophomore season a year ago, but stepped up in the second half – following the trade of Tomas Kaberle to Boston – and played over 22 minutes a game after the all-star break (even rating). Bouncing in and out of the lineup in the opening months, Gunnarsson was playing more with his mind than his instincts. "Thats what I struggled with in the beginning," he said. "I started to think too much; what Im doing wrong, what the coaches want, and what all the guys want me to do on the ice. When Im not thinking – I think that goes for everyone too – thats when you play at your best. Just do it instinctively." Gunnarsson joined Team Sweden at the World Championship following the regular season, earning a silver medal in what he described as a "great experience". cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '