Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, What are your thoughts on the NHLs recommended rule changes from Monday? Do you think theres a way to make goaltender interference - or other on-ice rulings - more clear by going to video review? Does video review help the officials on the ice or take some of the decision making away from them? Which of the recommended rule changes do you think can really help the stripes in a game? Steve Wishie, Toronto Thank you for submitting these very important questions following the competition committee meeting that took place on Monday in New York. The General Managers will be convening sometime in the very near future to discuss these issues. Since it would appear there was little or no input from a knowledgeable officiating mind in attendance, I wish to address the General Managers directly with the following comments specifically related to implementing an expanded video review. I had the pleasure of developing a professional working relationship with each of you; in some cases that relationship began during your playing career and prior to your move into the role of general manager. While it is safe to say that we didnt or wont always agree, please know that I have great respect for the knowledge and care for the game that each of you demonstrates. Having been on that goal-line far too many times to count during my 30-plus year NHL officiating career I know, better than most, the demands, expectations and difficulties that the current crop of referees are experiencing. Goalkeeper interference is the most difficult decision that any referee has to make. The referees, like no time ever before, require your most thoughtful assistance to equip them with the necessary tools to achieve success and uphold the integrity of the game. The time has now come to step outside of any traditional comfort zone and implement video review technology that is available to the rest of us that watch the game on a television monitor, but who are not charged with making a split second decision on these potentially game changing plays. Based on Mathieu Schneiders quote below it would appear that the expectation of "certainty" must be met in order for video review to be expanded beyond the current allowances contained within the rules. "I think the underlying fundamental here is that if youre going to go to video review in a given area, there is the expectation of certainty," said Mathieu Schneider, the NHLPAs special assistant to the executive director. "And its just not there. Its very difficult. The type of things that were talking about, a possible coachs challenge, are things that we might be able to be certain on. But theres still a ton of grey area." I would respectfully submit that language contained throughout the rule book provides the referee(s) with the authority and latitude to exercise his individual judgment in the enforcement of the rules. Phrases such as "In the judgment of the Referee; There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees; The Referee, "at his discretion" may assess; The Referees are provided very wide latitude in the penalties with which they may impose under this rule; The discretion provided (to the Referees) should be exercised realistically…" The referees do not apply a mathematical equation to problem solving. Instead, with your direction provided to them as to the expected standard of enforcement, the referees exercise their individual judgment to try and make the "correct call" from a position and vantage point that they occupy on the ice in that moment. This does not always achieve "certainty" and the referees perception of the play can quickly be changed if he is provided with a different angle or more precisely through video review. The current process and follow-up protocol of a conference conducted by the four on-ice officials (when utilized) does not achieve any "certainty" that the correct call is ultimately made. Gentlemen, one of the challenges that await you at your next meeting is to achieve some consensus among your group as to what actually constitutes a violation of rule 69—goalkeeper interference? Based on another quote following the competition committee meeting you have your work cut out for you. Even the Game 2 situation brought what Schneider called a "split room" on whether it should have counted or not. "Theres a lot of instances where you have two reasonable people looking at the same video and have two different interpretations, and goalie interference is certainly one of those," Schneider said. "I think the education process is whats going to be most important for the officials, for the players, and I think Colin alluded to, we want to maybe err on the side of the goalie more often. Well, thats the direction we have to give to the officials. "The education process is going to be key. And to have certain telltale signs." Your room cannot be "split" on this crucial issue of players interfering with the goaltender. The players and officials are in need of more concrete direction. Empowering the referee to take a second look at a play with a quick video review, perhaps through a coachs challenge, will help improve these game altering decisions. I also agree that "the education process is going to be "key". The officiating brotherhood can never stop learning, evolving or improving. Give them the tools they need to develop better positioning philosophies so that they consistently know where to go when a player is coming at them or where to go to find the best site line to the goal. A well officiated game is also incumbent upon the utilization of a referees sound judgment. He cannot be stripped of that yet again by a non-official making the call for him from an off-site location. The referees want to get the call right! The couple of minutes it will take for the referee to review the suspected presence of goalkeeper interference, along with some good coaching, will lead to a new age of officiating. Los Angeles Rams Jerseys . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Brandon Allen Jersey .Y. - Matt Harvey wants to make sure hes on the mound in late October — if the New York Mets get there for the first time since 2006. http://www.laramsfootballshops.com/ramik-wilson-jersey/ . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Brian Allen Jersey .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. Marcus Peters Jersey . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form.LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers have been giving playoff-contending teams more trouble over the past week than clubs that are way out of contention -- like themselves. Chris Kaman had a season-high 28 points along with 17 rebounds while starting at centre for the vertigo-stricken Pau Gasol, Jodie Meeks scored 22 points, and Los Angeles snapped the Phoenix Suns six-game winning streak with a 115-99 victory Sunday night. It came just five days after the Lakers put a crimp in the New York Knicks post-season plans with a 31-point drubbing at Staples Center. In between that game and this one were a pair of road losses to the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat the Lakers by 36 points Friday night. "Were trying to be the player-haters of the year. Thats definitely what were trying to do, and we embrace it," said point guard Kendall Marshall, who had 13 points and 11 assists. "We want to keep teams out of the playoffs and mess up seedings. Thats our motivation right now. Any type of motivation we can get to grow as a team is good for us right now." The undermanned Lakers shot 53 per cent from the field, avoiding what would have been Phoenixs first season sweep over them since 2004-05. The Suns won the first three meetings by an average margin of 13.3 points, including a 117-90 rout on Dec. 23 at US Airways Center. This was the first meeting between the teams in 2 1/2 months. "I dont know if we had a single guy who came with the energy that they usually have," coach Jeff Hornacek said. "Weve had games like this before, where they think theyre just going to show up and win a game. Were not good enough to do that. These guys have been winning games lately because theyve been focused in, but tonight they just werent." The 25-48 Lakers beat a team with a winning record for only the eighth time all season. Gasol missed his fourth straight game because of his ailment, joining Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Jordan Farmar on the inactive list. Gerald Green scored 22 points off the bench and Goran Dragic added 17 for the Suns, who missed their first 11 shots from 3-point range and finished 8-for-36 from behind the arc against a defence that came in having allowed an average of 119.1 in their previous 16 games and 108.9 overall -- second-worst in the league behind Philadelphia. The Suns shot 38.5 per cent overall. "Theyre not shooting them to miss them," an agitated Hornacek said. &quuot;They all thought they were going to make them, and its not always going to be there.dddddddddddd So at that point, quit shooting them and drive to the basket." The Suns first loss since March 17 at Brooklyn dropped them to 44-30 and put them into a tie with idle Dallas for seventh place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Memphis. "Our schedule gets a lot harder after this," Hornacek said. "Play all the top teams now in the next six or seven games, so thats why this game was so important. I mean, if this happens against Oklahoma City or the Clippers, then fine. But this team is not a playoff team, so thats why its disappointing." Kaman, an 11-year veteran in his first season with the Lakers, secured his sixth double-double of the season before halftime with 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles build a 61-43 lead at intermission. "Chris can do that. He has talent, and he came ready to play," coach Mike DAntoni said. Dragic, who came in with a team-best 20.6 scoring average, got seven of the Suns first 13 points -- but didnt get another until his driving layup with 8:39 left in the third quarter trimmed the Lakers lead to 70-48. The Suns, who came in fifth in the league in 3-point shooting at 37.7 per cent, didnt get their first one until Markieff Morris ended their drought with 8:45 left in the second quarter. His brother Marcus drained another one 34 seconds later and Green made a three-point play with 7:41 left in the half, tying it at 31 after Suns trailed by 13. But the Lakers responded with a 28-9 run that included nine points by Meeks, and Ryan Kelly capped the rally with a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a 59-40 cushion with 1:06 left in the third. The Suns got no closer than 11 points with 3:43 to play. "They made a few runs and killed us. We didnt know how to stop them," Dragic said. "I think our intensity was really bad. Its like no one wants to play in the playoffs -- or at least it seems like that. " NOTES: The longest winning streak in Suns history was 17 games in 2006-07, under DAntoni. ... Kaman received a technical foul from referee Derrick Stafford after getting called for an offensive foul with the Lakers leading 80-55. ... The last time the Lakers hosted Phoenix on Dec. 10, they lost 114-108. That game was one of only six that Bryant has played in this season. ... The Suns are only 16-19 when Dragic is their high-point man. The rest of the time, they are 28-10. Cheap Warriors JerseysAuthentic Cavaliers JerseysCheap Spurs StoreCeltics Jerseys OnlineCheap Bulls JerseysCheap Nets JerseysCheap Thunder JerseysCheap 76ers JerseysCheap Knicks JerseysWholesale Raptors JerseysCyber Monday Pistons JerseysWholesale Team USA Basketball JerseysCheap Celtics JerseysCheap Nets JerseysCheap Knicks JerseysCheap 76ers JerseysRaptors Jerseys From ChinaCheap Bulls JerseysCavaliers Jerseys From ChinaWholesale Pistons JerseysBucks Jerseys From ChinaPacers Jerseys OutletAuthentic Hawks JerseysCheap Hornets JerseysCheap Heat JerseysCheap Magic JerseysAuthentic Wizards JerseysCheap Nuggets JerseysTimberwolves Jerseys OutletWholesale Thunder JerseysCheap Blazers JerseysCheap Jazz JerseysDiscount Warriors JerseysWholesale Clippers JerseysWholesale Lakers JerseysCheap Suns JerseysCheap Kings JerseysDiscount Mavericks JerseysAuthentic Rockets JerseysDiscount Grizzlies JerseysCheap Pelicans JerseysSpurs Jerseys From China ' ' '