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, Appreciate all your insight into what goes on in games. Im just looking for an explanation - in Wednesdays Flyers-Capitals game, why didnt Wayne Simmonds receive a third-man in during the line brawl last night? He clearly grabbed Erskine, who was engaged with Lecavalier, allowing Vinnie a free cheap-shot right to the mush!Thanks,Chris --- Hey Kerry, Seeing the Flyers-Caps line brawl last night, whats the most interesting story from your officiating days when it came to breaking them up? Paul McLane Chris: You are correct in your assessment that Wayne Simmonds deserved a game misconduct when he grabbed John Erskine around the neck allowing Vincent Lecavalier a free shot as the players fell to the ice. Let me break the play down for you and explain how both refs were focused on other wrestling matches taking place in the moment and missed the grab by Simmonds. This quickly developed into the proverbial cluster-bang after Luke Schenn delivered a hard but legal check on Ryan Stoa against the boards just inside the Flyers blue line. Caps tough guy Tom Wilson skated directly toward Schenn for the sole purpose of instigating a fight. As the two players dropped their gloves Wilsons intention was placed on hold as Schenns leg became caught up with Stoa and the Flyer fell to his knees and promptly placed in a vulnerable position. Wilson did the honorable thing and refrained from throwing a punch at Schenn. Brayden Schenn, who Wilson leveled with a devastating illegal hit in a previous meeting, demonstrated his brotherly love in the City of Philadelphia by attempting to engage Tom Wilson on Lucs behalf. Both linesmen quickly intervened and prevented an altercation from developing. As brother Luc was untangling his leg from Ryan Stoa, things really got rolling when Wayne Simmonds fronted Stoa and cuffed the Capitals forward on the visor. This prompted big John Erskine to lead the charge at Simmonds. Linesman Scott Cherrey, a second round selection in the 1994 entry draft by the Washington Capitals, alertly intervened between Erskine and Simmonds. A war on two fronts began once Luc Schenn was able to return to his feet and he and Tom Wilson mutually agreed to engage in a toe-toe slugfest at the Flyers blue line. This fight forced linesman Cherrey to return to the original altercation to assist his partner and leave a pack of angry players that included John Erskine, Wayne Simmonds and Vincent Lecavalier to sort things out. Without any policing in effect John Erskine moved to engage Vinnie Lecavalier which prompted Simmonds to jump on Erskines back. As they fell to the ice in a heap the remaining players piled on. The secondary fight erupted when Erskine quickly broke from Simmonds grasp, jumped to his skates and began trading bombs with Lecavalier below the goal line as the remaining players wrestled one another from a position close beside them. This action caused Steve Mason to move out of his goal crease and in close proximity to jump into the fight and assist Vinnie if necessary. This a whole lot of action taking place at one time for the referees to observe! Both refs shifted their focus away from the fight and wrestling matches in the corner as they moved Mason back to his goal crease to prevent any possible recurrence of the Ray Emery-Braden Holtby incident. In the exact moment that Wayne Simmonds, in his intense wrestling match with Connor Carrick, threw a bear paw swing around Erskines neck, referee Paul Devorski had turned his head to the left to focus on Brayden Schenn and Jay Beagle. In the next frame the ref refocused to catch Erskine, Lecavalier, Simmonds and Carrick falling to the ice in a heap. The ref may or not have witnessed the free punch that Vinnie got in on the way down to the ice from his position. In any event Wayne Simmonds escaped a game misconduct as third man into the altercation. Paul: I was physically involved in many dust-ups when line brawls and bench clearings were common place from the 1970s through the 1980s. One of the most bizarre situations I encountered in breaking up an altercation was when John MacLean of the Devils smoked me right between the eyes with a left that was intended for Moe Lemay of the Boston Bruins in game two of the Eastern Conference Final on May 4, 1988. The Bruins, coached by Terry OReilly, had beaten Jim Schoenfelds Devils by a score of 5-3 in Game 1. Game 2 was a rough-and-tumble affair that the Devils eventually won 3-2 in overtime, but before we reached that point a line brawl broke out when Bruins player Moe Lemay went hard to the Devils goal, bumping Sean Burke. The cavalry came to the defence of their goalkeeper, and linesman Gerry Gauthier was tied up with Willi Plett of the Bruins and Perry Anderson of the Devils against the boards in the end zone. Linesman Ron "Huck" Finn was trying to separate Lemay and MacLean, but they had dropped their gloves and were ready to rumble. Poor Huck Finn was on his own, so I came in from behind to grab Lemay and pull him out of the altercation just as the punches started. I moved around Lemay to tie up his right hand and skate him out of the exchange when, unfortunately for me, Finn didnt realize that MacLeans left hand was free. Johnny Mac unloaded with his best shot from over the top. The closest head to punch was mine - he drove me right in the freakin head. It staggered me momentarily, but thank heavens John MacLean was a better scorer than a puncher. I was still on my skates. I aggressively tied up Lemay and moved him out of the there so that I wouldnt have to take any more shots. I assessed John MacLean 14 minutes in penalties and Lemay with 17. In Game 3 back in the Meadowlands, the dust-up didnt occur on the ice but in the hallway leading to the officials room following a 6-1 Bruins victory when coach Jim Schoenfeld confronted referee Don Koharski. The cameras were rolling and preserved for posterity, the infamous line shouted by the coach at the referee, "Good, because you fell, you fat pig. Have another doughnut!" Dust-ups were common place back then but seldom like the ones that occurred in the 1988 Eastern Conference Final between the Bruins and the Devils. Daniel Ross Jersey . The 19-year-old Swiss centre back will initially have to impress in Uniteds reserve side to earn a spot in the first team. 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Tyree Robinson Jersey . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012.With the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicking off Thursday in Brazil, TSN.cas panel of experts is here to provide you with sage advice, or at least best guesses. We asked TSNs team of soccer analysts to provide their picks for the group stage. Read on to find out who is in contention and who might be looking at an early exit. The panel consists of TSN Soccer Analysts Jason deVos, Luke Wileman and Kristian Jack, TSN Radio 1050 Toronto host Gareth Wheeler, TSN Radio 690 Montreals Noel Butler and TSN.ca soccer editors Shane McNeil and Ken Rodney. Group A: 1. Brazil, 2. Croatia 3. Cameroon, 4. Mexico. No one seems to have much doubt that the hosts are advancing to the second round and they have been chosen unanimously as group winners by TSNs experts. While Neymars training scare did sound a few alarms, it was pretty clear that Brazil was the team to back in Group A, and for several of our analysts, the team to take it all. Second place is a bit more of a toss-up with three perennially competitive teams rounding out the group, but Croatia got solid backing from more than half the TSN team. The likes of Mario Mandzukic and Luka Modric make them an offensive force and will likely provide the offence they need to make the Round of 16. Mexico has advanced to the Round of 16 in each of the last five World Cups, but their appalling qualifying performance has them on the outside looking in. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have only once advanced out of the group stage but still got some second-place consideration. Picks - deVos: Brazil, Croatia. Jack: Brazil, Mexico. Wileman: Brazil, Cameroon. Wheeler: Brazil, Croatia. Butler: Brazil, Croatia. McNeil: Brazil, Croatia. Rodney: Brazil, Croatia. Group B: 1. Spain, 2. Netherlands, 3. Chile, 4. Australia. One of the more stacked groups in the competition, Group B was a divisive force amongst the TSN soccer team with the two reigning finalists pulling first- and second-place votes away from one another. The Champs, though, did prevail, and Spain is the consensus pick to top the group. Theyve won three straight tournaments dating back to Euro 2008 and theres not much to suggest they arent going to be competitive in Brazil. Dont underestimate the importance of group play here, because whoever finishes second will in all likelihood draw Brazil in the Round of 16. While Chile was picked as a second-place finisher on more than one ballot (and first by Kristian Jack!), the Netherlands took the second spot in the group. And why not? With the likes of Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, the Dutch are wired to score in droves. The Australians will have to settle for a participation ribbon in this competition. Picks - deVos: Spain, Chile. Jack: Chile, Netherlands. Wileman: Spain, Netherlands . Wheeler: Spain, Netherlands. Butler: Spain, Chile. McNeil: Netherlands, Spain. Rodney: Spain, Netherlands. Group C: 1. Ivory Coast, 2. Colombia, 3. Japan, 4. Greece. This is another balanced group that prompted a wide variety of scenarios from our analysts. In the end, though, two teams emerged well ahead as the cream of the group. Unfortunately, those two teams wound up in a dead heat in terms of votes received. Were giving Ivory Coast the nod by virtue of having more first-place votes, so watch out for Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and the rest of the Elephants to step up amid fierce competition. Colombia was the easy choice for second place and may well have been the favourite here if Radamel Falcao were fit enough to play. We still like their chances to advance and make a serious run at topping the group. Japans Samurai seem to succeed at the World Cup every other tournament (they made the Round of 16 in South Africa), but they are up against some serious competition in this group that doesnt really have a minnow. Greece is a team that can usually lull its way into the playoffs with staunch defence, but they were unable to convince our analysts that they will silence Colombia or the Ivorians. Picks - deVos: Colombia, Ivory Coast. Jack: Colombia, Japan. Wileman: Colombia, Ivory Coast. Wheeler: Ivory Coast, Colombia. Butler: Ivory Coast, Colombia. McNeil: Ivory Coast, Greece. Rodney: Ivory Coast, Colombia. Group D: 1. Uruguay, 2. Italy, 3. England, 4. Costa Rica. Yes, we know, you probably disagree. As you can see below, the vote was razor thin with little wiggle room between the reigning the perennial picks from England and Italy and the reigning bronze medalists from Uruguay. Heres the logic: Luis Suarez is not 100 per cent, but he is still probably the breakout player of the group. The Uruguayans will be buoyed by the fact that they won the World Cup last time it was held in Brazil and were the top-ranked team in the group at the time of the draw. They received the most first-place votes of any team in the group from our panel. The margin between England and Italy is harder to discern. All our analysts conceded that both have the talent to go through but both are facing obstacles. England has the tougher games to start their group play, while Italys travel schedule works against them.dddddddddddd. Theres no easy way to pick this group, since its one of several Groups of Death in this competition. If you dont like our picks, change them. The vote was so split in this group that its hard to call this a true consensus choice. Picks - deVos: Italy, Uruguay. Jack: Uruguay, Italy. Wileman: Italy, England. Wheeler: England, Italy. Butler: England, Italy. McNeil: Uruguay, England. Rodney: Uruguay, Italy. Group E: 1. France, 2. Ecuador, 3. Switzerland, 4. Honduras. In the second unanimous decision, France emerged as the clear favourite from Group E. Theyve alternated between sublime and ugly at each World Cup since hosting in 1998. The 2010 effort in South Africa could not have been uglier, so that leaves nothing but room for improvement. Losing Franck Ribery stings, but Les Bleus have the depth to at least top this quartet. The race for second was tight. Ecuadors Antonio Valencia showed hes in full compete mode by getting a red in a recent friendly against England, so if he comes out and plays at the top of his game, it should propel yet another South American team into the playoffs. The Swiss were one of the surprise teams in the top seeding pot for the 2014 draw and as such should also be considered a serious threat to advance. No one seems to be a believer in Honduras. Picks - deVos: France, Ecuador. Jack: France, Switzerland. Wileman: France, Ecuador. Wheeler: France, Switzerland. Butler: France, Switzerland. McNeil: France, Ecuador. Rodney: France, Ecuador. Group F: 1. Argentina, 2. Nigeria, 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4. Iran. To the surprise of few, were picking Lionel Messi, Kun Aguero and the rest of Argentinas potent attack to easily run this group and – like their rivals from Brazil – theyre a popular pick to take the entire tournament. Nigerias Super Eagles are our pick to take second in the group behind some English Premier League talent in their midfield in the forms of John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses. Some of our resident internet nerds from TSN.ca really like Bosnia and Herzegovinas chances and the team did score a heap of goals in qualifying, but Edin Dzeko and co. came up short in the vote and may have to settle for thrilling their fans simply by making their first-ever appearance. Iran has won just one game in three previous trips to the World Cup. Picks - deVos: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Jack: Argentina, Nigeria. Wileman: Argentina, Nigeria. Wheeler: Argentina, Nigeria. Butler: Argentina, Nigeria. McNeil: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Rodney: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Group G: 1. Germany, 2. Portugal, 3. USA, 4. Ghana. The deepest of the groups from top to bottom, the only thing everyone could agree on was that the Germans are going through. They dont tend to leave the group stage to chance and have finished in the top eight at every World Cup since being banned from the 1950 World Cup (also in Brazil). They will get through and in all likelihood as group-winners. Portugal gets the second-place vote here but it wasnt a unanimous decision. Cristiano Ronaldo will carry the Portuguese, the only question is: how far? He out-willed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get his team here. Does he have it in him to carry the team deep? The U.S. got some love as potential spoilers, so keep an eye on them. They surprised a lot of people in South Africa and Jurgen Klinsmann has been busy sowing the seeds of doubt around his team before the tournament. Is he just trying to get other teams to let their guards down? Ghana is a strong team and would be a threat to advance in most other groups... just not this one. Picks - deVos: Germany, Portugal. Jack: Portugal, Germany. Wileman: Germany, Portugal. Wheeler: Germany, USA. Butler: Portugal, Germany. McNeil: Germany, USA. Rodney: Germany, Portugal. Group H: 1. Belgium, 2. Russia, 3. Korea Republic, 4. Algeria. A chic underdog pick in this competition, Belgium is the team to beat in Group H according to everyone here at TSN. They boast a superb balance of attack and defend with some reliable and smart talent all through their line-up. How frightening is it that if teams are able to neutralize Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku that they might still see Adnan Januzaj coming off the bench? Russia are back at the World Cup for the first time in over a decade and we like their odds to get out of the group due to their ability to score in droves. Theyve struggled in big tournaments since the fall of the Soviet Union, but they did manage to finish third at Euro 2008. Korea Republic have already continued their streak of eight straight trips to the World Cup, but we believe thats where the dream ends. As for Algeria, English and American fans will be able to tell you that they are capable of causing trouble. We just dont see them as a threat to advance. Picks - deVos: Belgium, Russia. Jack: Belgium, Russia. Wileman: Belgium, Russia. Wheeler: Belgium, Korea. Butler: Belgium, Russia. McNeil: Belgium, Russia. Rodney: Belgium, Russia. 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