Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Discount Soccer Jerseys .ca. Kerry, Im sure its been asked a million times but during the Habs game Manny Malhotra was ejected out of the face off in the dying seconds of the first that resulted in the Stars winning the faceoff and scoring. Then as I continue to watch the game, or any NHL game in my life for that matter, the linesmen are ejecting guys out of the dot or waiting longer to drop it. My question: what are these guys looking for to drop the black rubber thing on the ice? John Cobb John: In one word, the linesmen are looking for fairness! They want to conduct a fair drop to ensure that one player doesnt gain a distinct advantage over the other by cheating. With the multitude of face-off markings that are on ice, in addition to the procedure spelled out in Rule 76 (face-offs) it really shouldnt be all that difficult for the centers to stand squarely with their stick on the ice in the shaded area of the dot. It all sounds good in theory but as Dale Hunter once told me, Frase, if you aint cheatin you aint tryin! Manny Malhotra is without a doubt the premier face-off expert in the NHL. I can tell you that Manny is also a real solid citizen and a class act. Those fine qualities, however, do not prevent the Habs player from subscribing to Hunters theory whenever he can get away with it. With 2.5 seconds remaining in the first period and a face-off to the right of Carey Price, Malhotra keyed on Mike Cviks hand once the big linesman presented the black disc in preparation of dropping it. As Honda applied finger pressure to the puck just prior to releasing it, Manny jumped prematurely with a stick swing that eliminated opposing center Jason Spezzas stick before drawing the puck cleanly on his backhand. Malhotra beat Cvik to the draw by exerting contact to his opponent and the linesman had no alternative but to eject the Montreal specialist from the face-off. (Here is a test for you. Hold your thumb and pointer-finger together and apply pressure. The fine muscles in your hand will twitch and your thumb nail will even change color at the tip. That creates the trigger switch for an expert like Manny Malhotra to move on. Each linesman can grip the puck a little differently and demonstrate a tell as to the moment he will drop the puck. Experts like Manny Malhotra study these individual tendencies) Players must adhere to the following guidelines and enforced by the linesmen as per Rule 76.4, which states that when the face-off takes place in any of the end face-off circles, the players taking part shall take their position so that they will stand squarely facing their opponents end of the rink, and clear of the ice markings. The sticks of both players facing-off shall have the blade on the ice, within the designated white area. The visiting player shall place his stick within the designated white area first followed immediately by the home player. It really shouldnt be all that difficult for players to follow those clear instructions. Violations that result in an ejection are: i) One or both centers are not positioned for the face-off, ii) One or both centers refrain from placing their stick on the ice, iii) Any player has encroached into the face-off circle, iv) Any player makes physical contact with an opponent, or v) Any player who lines up for the face-off in an off-side position. A referees best friend is a moving puck. Trust me when I tell you I wanted face-offs to be conducted by the linesmen as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible. I respect their need for maintaining the integrity of an end-zone face-off because, as we saw in this situation, a goal resulted just prior to the horn sounding. Fans get frustrated and frequently blame the linesmen when players are ejected from the face-off circle or it seems to take forever to drop the puck. The last thing any linesman wants is to become the goat when a flawed face-off results in a goal. As much as I respect their position, I have to admit that I stood on the goal line many times and uttered under my breath, just drop the puck! One night in the Joe Lewis Arena, my friend and colleague linesman Dan McCourt was taking forever to drop the puck for an end zone face-off. I finally skated into the face-off circle from my opposite side goal-line position and said to Chief, The artist sitting in the first row just informed me that he has finished your still portrait and its okay for you to drop the puck now. Just open your hand and let gravity take over! You can imagine what linesman Chief Dan McCourt told me to do. I still chuckle how the two centers just about fell over laughing as I skated back to my position. The puck eventually fell and another perfect face-off was conducted. Replica Soccer Jerseys 2020 .Y. - Islanders forward Anders Lee has been fined $2,286 by the NHL for elbowing St. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. http://www.cheapjerseyssoccercustom.com/ . Bookies were offering odds of 13/1 before kickoff that the home team Houston Dynamo would prevail by three goals to nil. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chris Sale knew he had to pitch his best Sunday with James Shields starting for the Kansas City Royals. "Indubitably, yes," Sale said. "You know what youre getting with a starter like James. You have to bear down and do it." Sale gave up four singles in eight scoreless innings as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Royals 5-1 in a pitching duel between top starters. Alexei Ramirez and Tyler Flowers each drove in a pair of runs as the White Sox won the series finale after dropping the first two games. Sale (2-0) struck out six and walked one. In his previous four starts against the Royals, the White Sox had backed him with one run, enough to beat James Shields 1-0 in the 2012 opener. "There was an energy to Chris coming off the mound," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Big pitchers do that when you face up against a guy like Shields. He knows weve lost three in a row and hes going up against Shields and he wanted to go out and shut them down." Shields (0-1) took the loss in this one, too, giving up a run on five hits, striking out six, walking none and hitting two batters in seven innings. "What we saw out there today was two No. 1 starters that were at the top of their game," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Both of them had their A-game on the mound. Thats as good of stuff as Ive seen James Shields have. He had everything working, his fastball at 94-95, a great cutter, a great change, a great curveball. "Sale was right there with him. He has everything going. Both starters just pitched a great game, both of them." Ramirezs drove in the games first run in the seventh when Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar knocked down his grounder but had no play for Conor Gillaspie at home. Sale allowed a runner past second only in the third inning, when Lorenzo Cain and Omar Infante singled and Ramirez committed a throwing error. Sale wiggled out of trouble by retiring Danny Valencia on a pop up. Cain had two of the hits off Sale. Soccer Jerseys From China 2020. The White Sox scored four runs in the ninth off Royals left-handed relievers Tim Collins and Francisley Bueno. The inning included a Flowers two-run single and an RBI double by Ramirez. Alex Gordon singled home Eric Hosmer in the ninth off Matt Lindstrom for the only Kansas City run. The Royals won their first replay challenge of the season when Marcus Semien was ruled safe at first, but it was overturned on a review that took 68 seconds. White Sox manager Robin Ventura challenged that Hosmer was out at first to complete a double play in the sixth, but replays indicated he was safe. Plate umpire Greg Gibson issued a warning to both benches in the sixth when Infante had to jump out of the way of Sales pitch way inside after Shields had hit two batters, including Jose Abreu in the top of the inning. "Im not trying to hit Abreu right there, theres no doubt it," Shields said. "Weve got a zero-zero ball game. Im not trying to put a runner on base. There was definitely no intent. I understand they are trying to protect their players over there, but in that situation Im not trying to hit him. I dont think theres any reason for any retaliation at all." Notes: White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham, who is on the disabled list with a left oblique strain, has been shut down after one game from a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Birmingham, still feeling tenderness when he swings. . The White Sox starting lineup Saturday included four Cuban-born players: C Adrian Nieto, RF Dayan Viciedo, SS Alexei Ramirez and Abreu. The last team to start four Cubans were the Indians on April 8, 1969 -- SS Zolio Versalles, RHP Luis Tiant, CF Jose Cardenal and C Joe Azcue. .The Royals will start LHP Jason Vargas against Tampa Bay on Monday, while the Rays probable is LHP Matt Moore. .The White Sox will start RHP Felipe Paulino for the series opener at Colorado. RHP Jordan Lyles will be the Rockies starter. ' ' '