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. Kerry, Sorry to say, but in two of the last three Senators games its blatantly obvious who the referees are pulling for. Calling penalties on Milan Michalek for grabbing a guy after the St. Louis Blues did it for two full periods without a call and then that horrible call on Bobby Ryan for holding his stick the proper way and Steen obviously skating into it. Terrible officiating and its obvious to us fans watching on TV. Im getting to the point of shutting it off completely and trying basketball, where I know they will call terrible penalties but on both teams! Dr. Adam Hoirch --- Hi Kerry, I was curious about if referees review their own calls/non calls in the intermission. In watching the Ottawa/St. Louis game last night I have to say there were some calls that seemed unwarranted against the Senators and some non-calls against for the Blues that seemed to be blatant. Ive seen games where it appears the refs give a soft call to the team that has been wrongly punished, but that wasnt the case last night. With the Blues getting over nine minutes of power play time including a full two minutes of 5-on-3 while the Senators got only 37 seconds of total power play time it is hard to imagine any attempt was made to balance unfair or missed calls. Do the refs really try to make amends for errors or do they just forge on? Cheers,Scott --- Bobby Ryan received an elbowing penalty in the first period of the Ottawa-St. Louis game. Alex Steen ran into Ryan. Can you explain what Ryan did wrong? Thanks,Greg Moffatt --- Hi, Many have probably heard of the Senators vs. Blues game. It was pretty obvious all the calls were one-sided, at a point that I was expecting a supervisor coming down during the intermission and talking to the guys. The Senators were called on cases were the Blues did exactly the same thing, on multiple occasions, with the ref right there smiling with both hands down. As a Senators fan and hockey fan, I felt for the first time betrayed. This game was controlled and it made me so mad! My Twitter account went crazy! Fans were all on the same page, they all felt sick to their stomach. What is going on against the Senators? The Pittsburgh and St. Louis games were really weird. Example of identical play on both side were the Senators were in the box and not the Blues: - High stick- Crosscheck- Tripping- Roughing (I guess) on Michalek for coming on after the whistle and grabbing a Blues player from behind (which was done all night)- Misconduct to MacArthur because he too had enough of this circus! Last night, the Senators won against the Blues and the Refs. Please looks at the game and comment...its weird! Cheers,Jean-Francois Labonte --- Hi Mr. Fraser, To be blunt: what are the repercussions for bad referees, and what do you think the league can do to minimize games turning on bad calls in the future? Context: Im a very angry Ottawa Senators fan. We recently lost a game in part because of a blown boarding call against the Leafs and nearly lost a game against the Blues where the Blues had seven power plays and the Sens had one power play. Ill spare you most of the details of the Blues game, but it was the worst officiated game Ive ever seen. It included a comically bad call against Bobby Ryan for elbowing a player who skated into his arm while Ryan was looking away and playing a puck on the boards. A ten-minute misconduct against Clarke MacArthur for, what I gather, saying something to the referee that the referee did not like. As far as Im concerned, good referees arent just being fair, they look like theyre being fair. In a well-officiated game, all of the fans – win or lose - leave believing the players decided the game, not the referees. If that doesnt happen, everyone loses. What do you think? Yours truly,Anthony Moffatt --- Hi Kerry, Doing my best not to wear Sens-coloured glasses, I still am shocked at what I believe to be a display of inconsistent and at times downright incompetent officiating by the referees in Ottawas game at St. Louis on Tuesday night. Despite the Sens winning the game I cant help but feel uncomfortable with officiating like that in a sport at the professional level. The Senators were assessed 10 penalties to the Blues three. I am in no way stating that some of these werent deserved as discipline has been a major issue for them this year, but such a huge discrepancy when clearly the Blues were up to antics of their own (it seemed like there was a scrum after every whistle) is very disappointing. The fact that the Blues failed to capitalize on any of their six (seven?) power play chances just added to the feel that Ottawa was in fact playing against the officials and not St. Louis. What is your opinion on the job the refs did during that game and, knowing how the league protects its refs, is there any channel through which the Senators could possibly launch a formal complaint? It was clear during the game that the team was frustrated by the seemingly unfair parade of white jerseys to the penalty box. Regards,Dave Peters --- Dr. Hoirch, Scott, Greg, Jean-Francois, Anthony and Dave: (Almost 1,000 words in the questions alone!) Since I am not qualified to provide anger management counseling for you, I will instead analyze the game from my area of officiating expertise. If the Ottawa management feels, as each of you does, they can request an official review of the officiating crews performance presented throughout this game. That performance review must be requested in writing and would be conducted by VP of Officiating Stephen Walkom. His findings would be returned to Senators General Manager Bryan Murray in a written report. Having watched every second from the opening puck drop to the end of the second period and portions of the third period and OT, I find some evidence that Brian might have already requested a formal review. Heres my analysis. It is not intended to be work of prose but simply a breakdown of calls and missed calls from my perspective. First Period: The game began with some negative energy and carryover from their previous meeting on December 16 resulting from a high hit by Zach Smith on Alex Steen. Steen subsequently missed some games with concussion like symptoms. The first clue of what the refs might have in store came when Ken Hitchcock not only started his fourth line but intended for Ryan Reeves to line up out of his normal position to take the opening draw against Zack Smith. Referee Marc Joannette wisely ejected Reeves prior to the puck drop following some trash talk. That first shift lasted 36 seconds before unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were assessed to both Reeves and Smith. Given the negative energy I referred to, the referees should have been on high alert to bring the temperature down if and when they deemed it necessary. It was apparent to me that St. Louis Blues were the more aggressive team from the onset. With 13:42 remaining in the first period David Backes took exception to a solid, but legal hit by Chris Neil in the Senators end zone. When play stopped in the Blues zone (13:29 remaining) David Backes initiate a scrum by first grabbing Clarke MacArthur after the whistle and then dropped his gloves and grabbed Kyle Turris. This was a perfect opportunity for the referees to set a good standard on scrums by assessing a single penalty to Blues captain David Backes. This was a key moment in the game when a stand-alone penalty to the Blues should have resulted to address the scrum issue but was not called. With 4:34 remaining, Kevin Shattenkirk got away with a high hit and charge against Milan Michalek on a play that was signaled for an offside at the Blues blue line. Shattenkirk travelled a distance, left his feet and made some contact with the head of Michalek. A charging minor was warranted but not called. With 2:06 remaining in the first, Clarke MacArthur was correctly penalized for tripping when he kicked T.J. Oshies skates out from behind to take down the Blue player. Even though Sens coach Paul McLean and MacArthur protested, the referee made the right call! Another correct penalty call by the referee was then assessed to Derek Roy of the Blues with 29 seconds remaining when he grabbed and stretched the jersey of Marc Methot from behind. Second Period: This period was when missed and incorrect penalty calls resulted in frustration for the Senator players, their coach and their fans. With 17:01 remaining, Kyle Turris cleanly won a Senators end zone faceoff against Alex Steen. Steen then hooked his stick through the left leg of Turris, lifting the leg almost waist high and depositing the Senators player hard to the ice. Steen gave Turris an additional shot once he was down just for good measure! Although nothing was called this was clearly an aggressive trip that should have resulted in a penalty to Steen and resulted in another major scrum taking place. When play stopped 13 seconds later, Turris had words with Steen, punches were exchanged in the scrum. Chris Stewart and Bobby Ryan were assessed coincidental roughing minor penalties. The main event was between Turris and Steen and following the failed tripping call, these two players should have been sent to the penalty box to cool off. There was a good non-call by referee Joannette during the resulting four on four when Alex Steen grabbed a stretch pass at the Ottawa blue line and went in all alone. Eric Gryba made an excellent, legal defensive stick lift with the referee looking on. Scrums persisted in rapid-fire that were not addressed by the referees. With 12:02 remaining, Kyle Turris of the Sens pushed the back of Roman Polaks head with force following a stoppage of play in the Blues goal crease. Turris should have received a penalty as the initiator of the scrum that followed. No call was made. Eric Condra jammed his stick at a puck that was frozen by Jaroslav Halak, resulting in a major scrum where no penalties resulted with 11:42 remaining in the period. Shortly thereafter (10:24 left) a four player scrum following the stoppage took place that included a couple of heavyweights in Chris Neil and Ryan Reeves. Once again, no penalties were assessed by either referee.A pattern clearly had developed by this point with the number of non-penalized scrums that had taken place within a relatively short span of time on the game clock. What can I say about the Bobby Ryan elbowing penalty? In an attempt to put it nicely. Ill state that Bobby Ryan did not deserve an elbowing penalty on the play when Alexander Steen ran into Ryans elbow. Penalty calls are rated in three categories: i) Good ii) Marginal and iii) Poor. This call clearly falls into category iii). The Senators lost their composure (justified or not) and verbally shared their disdain for the referees call and most likely got personal. The referees standard on scrums was somehow was altered at this point in the game when just 5 seconds into the Bobby Ryan elbowing penalty, Patrik Berglund went to the net and lightly bumped Sens goalie Robin Lehner. Milan Michalek was then assessed a roughing penalty, putting the Sens two men short when he grabbed Berglund around the neck from behind to pull the Blues player back from his goalkeeper. No punch or push to the head as witnessed previously but a grab around the neck. The penalty call was an overreaction and completely inconsistent with the standard set to on the multiple scrums that had occurred to this point in the game. Much more aggressive incidents had been committed by players of both teams had not resulted in penalties to this point in the game; especially to place a team at a two man disadvantage. Perhaps there is also a lesson to be learned by the Sens as well regarding their lack of anger and frustration management? The penalty assessed to Marc Methot with approximately four seconds remaining in the roughing minor to Michalek was justified, once Methot extended his arms and delivered a solid cross-check in the corner to T.J. Oshie. The tripping penalty assessed to Mika Zibanejad on Jay Bouwmeester with 2:59 remaining in the second period was also a must call for the referee to make. The negative energy that was first initiated by the Blues against the Senators at the start of the game was now clearly being transferred by the Sens toward the refs! Clarke MacArthurs 10 minutes misconduct at the 20:00 minute mark clearly demonstrates the Sens frustration. Third Period: I hope no one would argue with the errant high-stick by Eric Gryba that clipped Brenden Morrow or the free two-handed slash to Morrows leg before the whistle blew to assess the high-sticking penalty. What I would point out here is that rather aggressive scrums continued with a couple in the final minute of regulation time. The score was tied and I would expect, as was the case, no penalties resulted. I would have hoped the scrums had been dealt with by the referees in an assertive and appropriate manner in the early going of the game and not through a stand-alone penalty to Milan Michalek that placed his team in a two-man disadvantage. OT Period: Regardless of what the player or his coach thought the hooking penalty to Clarke MacArthur when he reached and placed his stick across the arms and body of T.J. Oshie to restrain the Blues forward on a path to the net was absolutely the correct call! The bottom line is that the Senators persevered and picked up two points in a shootout win. Whether an Officials Performance Review is requested by Bryan Murray, we will most likely never know. Perhaps more important than this, as the Senators move forward, is for coach Paul McLean and his players to review their response to the officiating they received in this game. It can only better prepare them for other emotional situations they might have to overcome in the future. Cody Whitehair Jersey . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team. Chicago Bears Jerseys . Lost to Los Angeles in first round of playoffs. http://www.officialchicagobearsfootball....y-jersey-womens. Less than 24 hours after the Wolves lost at home to the Mavericks, 100-98, NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced Tuesday that Kevin Love was fouled on his right arm by Shawn Marion in the closing seconds and should have been awarded two free throws. Walter Payton Jersey .Morse gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $7 million next season and $8 million in 2016 under the agreement announced Wednesday. Josh Bellamy Jersey . The former Edmonton Oilers defenceman was with the St. Louis Blues in training camp on a professional tryout. Whitney, 30, had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Oilers last season.11:30am A clutch of excited boys cleverly disguised as middle-aged writers take turns sampling assorted sensations of speed at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The reason were here: its nearly time for Torontos Honda Indy and Honda Canada is gearing up for the big race with this event featuring Indy racing rock star James Hinchcliffe. The event features track time in three different cars: a Formula F race car; a 2014 Honda Civic Coupe Si, a zippy street monster whose 2.4L 4-cylinder engine emits 205hp and 174lb.-ft. torque; and some dangerous-looking go karts that speed up to 70 km/h mere centimeters from the ground. Hinchcliffe is just the big draw for our editors. Its driving the cars that were here for! To be fair, Hinchcliffe is a draw. Not only are his racing credentials impeccable—Hinch managed three Indy victories last year and took home 2011s ‘Rookie of the Year title—but hes a rare Canadian who has made a name for himself as a professional racer. Calling my own experience on the track “racing” is something akin to sitting in a 25-cent grocery store ride-on space-ship and calling that a trip to the moon. But, let me try to explain what it felt like anyway, because its about as close as most of us normals will get to the moon—or to being a professional race car driver. 9:00am Appropriately Lightening Crashes and rains falls until just minutes ago. So, despite the rising heat, the three tracks are patchily damp and puddled. My group is driving the go karts first. 24 year-old Daniel Morad, already a Canadian racing legend (he won the 2007 American Formula BMW championship and 2010 World Championship in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in La Conca, Italy), warns us of oversteer. We have rear brakes only on this wet, yet wonderfully challenging track. In spite of Morads warnings, for a half hour, we all spin 360 degrees in turns tighter than LIVE performing a third encore after a four-month tour. 10:30am ‘Use the whole track. The peppy Civic Si is my flying classroom. Voice crackling instructions via walkie-talkie, pro driver Jeff Boyce coaches us. We take turns flying through the circuit behind Boyce, observing where he floats, brakes, begins and completes turning. Pylons at corner apexes beckon the eye (briefly) into turns. Other series of cones, grouped into threes, twos and ones inform when to brake, then turn. Theres a lot to know and years of poor habits to overcome. It occurs to me how fortunate my group is. We began with fun go karting to quell nerves, then this technically challenging and massively educational hands-on schooling in Civics to heighten awareness — saving the best for last. Then we see the Formula F racer up close. ‘Will we eeven fit in that? 11:20am Im a sausage, zipped inside a Honda suit that restricts breathing, shimmying into the Formula F ‘casing.dddddddddddd They remove the steering wheel for driver access. My small Caucasian keister and broadish shoulders barely fit. Its uncomfortably tiny, like the suit. Then they say, “Go!” Suddenly, this restrictive cylinder magically expands to an angelic extension of my consciousness — a roaring vengeful angel! The steering is too precise; it feels unreal. Marking then finding apex and braking cones becomes almost second nature. The shifter is the width of a pencil and tempting to shift with pinky extended as though drinking tea. Power? The uninitiated may scoff at the 2013 Honda Fit engine, outputting 110 hp. But this speedster weighs just 1,125 lbs with driver (keep in mind that a driverless Smart car weighs 1,650). Then theres the speed sensation. Consider: why does sliding prone on a skateboard, face near the ground, trump 900 km/h at 20,000 ft? Perspective. The VanDiemens view is about as high as the go kart — but 17 times more powerful. Imagine driving a really fast and stiff sleeping bag. And the feeling? Like a sunny Friday June afternoon when you got a raise and your boss was fired. 11:40am Im shotgun as Hinchcliffe rips out a hot lap. Weirdly, its nothing compared to the crack hit I was riding just minutes back. The car is so much higher up, it feels more normal, and when youre just a passenger youre not the one with all that power at your disposal. For Hinch doing these hot laps must be about as thrilling as an unintended afternoon nap. Leading up to lunch, I poll the events professional drivers for tips on driving better. * James Hinchcliffe: “Safety is the most important thing for people who want to drive better. For young people interested in racing, theres a whole other side to your career — the marketing.” * Chris Bye: Three-day racing courses re-teach important basics. They cost thousands but nobody ever told him it wasnt worth it, even if they never raced afterwards. * Jeff Boyce: Take his race-school training. * Daniel Morad: Using a different language, he said the same. What acute irony that Hinch emphasized marketings importance just before his colleagues shilled for their driving schools. Yet they werent wrong. If dangerous idiots were forced to buy track lessons and learn the essentials of speed and motion, our roads would be far safer. Noon Aglow from driving the light speed Formula F, I spy a pretty woman grilling meat and accept the rawest steak she has. Steven Bochenek is a freelance contributor forAutofocus.ca, Canadas pit stop for auto enthusiasts and car buyers alike. Cheap Nike Celtics JerseysCheap Nike Nets JerseysCheap New York Knicks JerseysCheap Philadelphia 76ers JerseysChina Raptors JerseysWholesale Chicago Bulls JerseysWholesale Cleveland Cavaliers JerseysChina Pistons JerseysWholesale Indiana Pacers JerseysCheap Milwaukee Bucks JerseysAtlanta Hawks Jerseys OnlineCheap Nike Hornets JerseysChina Heat JerseysCheap Nike Magic JerseysChina Wizards JerseysCheap Nike Nuggets JerseysChina Timberwolves JerseysChina Thunder JerseysChina Blazers JerseysCheap Utah Jazz JerseysChina Warriors JerseysCheap Nike Clippers JerseysDiscount Lakers JerseysPhoenix Suns Jerseys OnlineCheap Sacramento Kings JerseysDallas Mavericks Jerseys OnlineWholesale Houston Rockets JerseysWholesale Memphis Grizzlies JerseysNew Orleans Pelicans Jerseys OnlineDiscount Spurs Jerseys ' ' '