Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Air Max From China .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? Nike Shoes From China . - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come. China Shoes Cheap . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. https://www.chinashoes.us/ . Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 points as the Jazz had seven players with 10 points or more in Utahs largest margin of victory this season.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills coach Doug Marrone repeated the word "challenging" three times on Wednesday when addressing the possibility of losing yet another quarterback to injury. Thats the reality Marrone is faced with after listing interim starter Thad Lewis as being "50-50" because of bruised ribs. The injury opens the possibility of undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel or newly signed free-agent Matt Flynn starting on Sunday, when the Bills (3-5) host the unbeaten and defensively stingy Kansas City Chiefs (8-0). "Challenging, challenging, challenging is the word we use," Marrone said. "Well do whatever we can if we have to go with either Jeff or Matt and do the best job for them in putting them in a position to win for the team." With rookie starter EJ Manuel (sprained right knee) still not cleared to play, and veteran backup Kevin Kolb (concussion) out for the season, the Bills could be down to their fourth-string quarterback after Lewis was hurt in a 35-17 loss at New Orleans last weekend. Making his third consecutive start since being promoted off the practice squad, Lewis was initially injured on the first play from scrimmage, when linebacker David Hawthorne struck the quarterback with a helmet-first hit into his right ribs. Lewis fumbled the ball and had difficulty getting off the field before returning for the next series and completing the game. "Thad is truly, right now, 50-50," Marrone said, adding tests on Lewis ribs came back negative. Lewis has gone 1-2 as a starter since Manuel was hurt in a 37-24 loss at Cleveland on Oct. 3. Lewis has put up respectable numbers in Buffalo, in completing 62 of 103 passes for 652 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Manuel practiced for the first time on Wednesday, but has already been ruled out from playing. The Bills offence could be depleted further with running back C.J. Spiller limited by a sprained left ankle and leading receiver Stevie Johnson bothered by a hip injury. Tuel and Flynn split first-team reps in preparing for the possibility of facing a Chiefs defence that has yet to allow more than 17 points in a game this season, and leads tthe league with 36 sacks and is second with 20 takeaways. China Shoes Wholesale. Tuel, out of Washington State, showed he wasnt ready to play at the NFL level in replacing Manuel against Cleveland. Tuel finished 8 of 20 for 80 yards, and threw an interception that was returned for a game-sealing touchdown in the final two minutes. "I learned a lot from Cleveland and I feel like Ive been getting better," Tuel said. "I had a lot of adrenalin flowing, got the nerves and all that, so I know how to handle it and prepare for it." Flynn, in his sixth NFL season, has more experience but has had difficulty holding on to a job. After spending his first four seasons as Aaron Rodgers backup in Green Bay, Flynn is on his third team in less than a year. Traded by Seattle to Oakland this off-season, Flynn lost the starting job to Terrelle Pryor before being cut by the Raiders on Oct. 7. He signed with Buffalo a week later, when the Bills were scrambling to address their lack of experienced depth at quarterback. Flynn has had little time to become familiar with the Bills offence and their receivers. The practice time Flynn enjoyed Wednesday was the most since his arrival. "I feel better about Jeff right now, because I know Jeff," Marrone said. "Thats not to say Matts not good enough. I just havent seen enough of Matt to really say its a competition, yet." Flynn understands the position hes in, while maintaining confidence in his abilities. "Im not going to let whatever happened in my past affect how I go about my business, how I go about playing the game," Flynn said. "Ive got a lot of confidence in myself. Call it stubbornness or competitiveness or whatever you want to call it, Ive always believed in what I can do." Veteran running back Fred Jackson acknowledged another switch at quarterback could be troublesome. "When you dont have consistency at a spot like that, it makes it tough," Jackson said. "But weve had guys come in here and step up and give us an opportunity to win football games. And thats all we can ask of them to do. And whoever it is this weekend, thats what well do." ' ' '