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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. Hey Kerry, Whats the standard for officiating on hits and shoves after the whistle? Andrei Markov laid a late hit on Ondrej Palat after the whistle in last nights Habs-Lightning game, while Radko Gudas was giving extra pushes and shoves after play was stopped as well! How much is too much? Carrie ---- Hi Kerry, I appreciate your candor in your columns. With the playoffs upon us I am going to put you on the spot. Does the league mandate that officials loosen the reins on the rules come playoffs? I have played, coached and been a fan of the game for many years and it would appear there is a different standard (I use Brad Marchand repeatedly punching one of the Sedins after a whistle with no call in the 2011 Stanley Cup final as Exhibit A). As a fan I hate the relaxed standard that is apparent in the playoffs. Andy,Toronto Hi Carrie and Andy: And so the games begin! We all know that game intensity is quickly ramped up in the playoffs. At ice level, a referee must be able to feel the energy that players exude from the opening puck drop and allow the game to unfold. Each game has a unique heartbeat and the officials need to constantly take the pulse into account and determine when it is appropriate to impose themselves. Im not talking about when to call a trip or other obvious infraction but more specifically how to regulate the temperature of a game. The refs need to tap into and differentiate between the positive energy (which they must allow to flourish) and any excessive negative energy (which they must take measures to control). Quite often there is a fine line between the two once we enter the high stakes of playoff competition. One incident can spike the game temp, such as the deliberate snow shower that Ryan Garbutt buried Ducks goalie Frederik Anderson with, or the late body check from Andrei Markov on Ondrej Palat. On the first play, the referee took immediate control by assessing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Garbutt, thereby sending a clear message that any "cheap" liberties on the goalkeeper would not be tolerated. I asked Marty Biron, whom I sat beside in the TSN studio last night, if a snow shower throws a goalie off his game. Marty said it actually does the opposite and will motivate the goalie to remain focused and play harder. Adding insult to injury, Matt Beleskey scored the fourth Ducks goal with Garbutt in the box. That became a costly penalty once Dallas closed the gap and Anaheim hung on for the 4-3 win. There was less need for the refs to exert control on the late Markov check. It was a clean shoulder check (other than after the whistle), it was in open ice as opposed to into the boards (in which case I am quite sure a penalty would have resulted) and even though it resulted in a scrum, the benefit of the doubt could be offered that Markov was in the act of finishing a check and the whistle was a little late. If after this "freebee" extended by the refs there was another episode of a testosterone rush someone should pay the price of a penalty call. Andy, there is no specific direction or league mandate given to the officials to loosen the reins on the rules. They are instructed to utilize their "best judgment" to ensure that marginal penalties are avoided at all times. This suggestion can plant a seed in the mind of the officials that isnt always positive. As the game moves closer to the end the refs feel an internal pressure to make sure that if they do raise their arm it will be judged as a "solid" penalty call. They want desperately to keep the spotlight off themselves. That thought process, when taken to excess, can negatively alter the standard that had been set throughout the game. Candidly speaking, a referee might avoid calling a foul that occurs 100 plus feet from the net since it doesnt involve a direct scoring opportunity. At that point he gambles and hopes that continued game flow gets him out of a self-perceived controversy. You and I know this is not the right approach, nor is it in the best interest of the game. Those in charge of rating the officials performance have a hand in this process as well. We have seen situations where a ref has stepped up and made a gutsy (and correct) call that impacts a game only to find himself dropped from further playoff assignments due to the nuclear fallout. Brad Marchand rag dolling Daniel Sedin in the 2011 Cup Final is just one example we could cite with regard to ref avoidance issues. Players will take full advantage when they feel the referee has put his whistle away. On the flip side, I recall Jerome Iginla chasing me around the ice after I whistled Andrew Ference for blasting Martin St. Louis into the end boards with less than two minutes remaining in Game 7 of the 2004 Cup Final with the Lightning leading by a score of 2-1. It was an obvious penalty but the score, time and emotion altered Iginlas perception and acceptance of the call. Then came the first lockout season and the "New NHL" spawned an attitude that penalties would be called regardless of the score and time. The standard has eroded somewhat from that strong initiative and needs to be restored before we move much farther through this playoff season. As I mentioned in a previous column, the referees need to demonstrate sound judgment and courage to make the perceived "tough" call. When the refs do make them they must be supported by the Officiating Department managers. That is the seed that needs to grow. Patric Hornqvist Jersey . -- Andrew Wiggins is from Canada, Wayne Selden from Massachusetts and Joel Embiid from the African nation of Cameroon. Pittsburgh Penguins Store .Under the agreement announced Monday, the Cuban defector is guaranteed $68.5 million over six seasons.Tomas gets a $14 million signing bonus that is payable within 30 days of the deals approval by Major League Baseball, and then salaries of $2 million next year, $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $10 million in 2018. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/1411...y-penguins.html. -- LeGarrette Blount wasnt satisfied with three short touchdown runs, not against a team coming off the second greatest comeback in playoff history. John Marino Jersey . The American secured his first back-to-back ATP match wins since June to leave Tsonga relying on his performance at next weeks Paris Masters to clinch one of the final three places for the season-ending event in London. Tsonga would have moved up one spot to No. 6 with a win over Querrey at the City of Arts and Sciences, but his serve deserted him in the second set as the 116th-ranked American broke twice to reach the quarter-finals. Casey DeSmith Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Bills have fired receivers coach Ike Hilliard.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Rontez Miles season debut for the New York Jets never made it to game day.The backup safety had emergency surgery on his right leg Thursday night after he was injured in practice earlier in the day.The team announced Friday that Miles, promoted from the practice squad this week, injured his shin area when he was accidentally kicked by a teammate on the field. Rex Ryan said it appeared to be just a bruise at first, but team doctors determined it was more serious as the pain increase throughout the day.Our trainers were here and their biggest fear with any kind of bruise or something like that is that something like this could happen, Ryan said. Theyre very observant, and he had treatment after and it never got better.Neither Ryan nor the Jets could immediately confirm the exact nature of the injury, but the symptoms appeared similar to compartment syndrome, which usually results from bleeding or swelling after an injury and causes high pressure in the injured area and impedes blood flow. Emergency surgery is sometimes required to relieve the pressure and prevent permanent injury.I was shocked by it, too, Ryan said. Apparently the pressure, it just kept getting worse and worse and worse.Miles was expected to play Sunday against the New England Patriots after being promoted Tuesday when the Jets waived cornerback Josh Thomas. He was in the locker room Thursday after practice with his lower right leg wrapped, but it didnt appear to be a serious injury. It was considered so minor, in fact, that Miles didnt even appear on the teams injury report.But Ryan said he was updated by the team doctors, who told him that Miles needed immediate surgery, around 8 p.m. Thursday. A few hours later, Miles wrote on his Facebook page that he would miss the rest of the season because of the injury and that surgery went well.The 26-year-old Miles spent most of last season on the Jets practice squad aftter being signed as an undrafted free agent out of California (Pa.dddddddddddd) He played in one game last season, and was re-signed to the practice squad two days after being cut following training camp in August.Ryan was not certain if Miles would indeed miss the season finale at Miami next Sunday.We were really excited to watch him play, Ryan said. Then this unfortunately happens.In other injuries, wide receiver Percy Harvin is probable after being limited at practice with a sprained ankle suffered at Minnesota two weeks ago. Ryan revealed earlier in the week that Harvin played through a third-degree sprain — meaning the ligament is completely torn — in the Jets win at Tennessee last Sunday.Special teams coach Thomas McGaughey said Harvins injury was so painful, he needed to be carried by a teammate — right tackle Breno Giacomini — up the stairs to the plane to Tennessee. He ended up with no catches, but had a 10-yard run and he returned a kickoff 33 yards.Its feeling a whole lot better, Harvin said. I was able to get a lot more treatment, so compared to last week around this time, its a night-and-day difference. I think Ill be able to be a little more effective than I was last week, especially coming out of my breaks.Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is questionable with turf toe, an injury that has sidelined him the last three games. He has been fitted for a couple of custom-made shoes to try to help relieve the pain since the injury against the Buffalo Bills at Detroits Ford Field on Nov. 24.It still hurts, he said. I mean, its getting a little better each and every day, but its still bothering me on the field.Wide receiver-special teamer Saalim Hakim (quadriceps) and safety Jaiquawn Jarrett (shoulder) are both listed as questionable, but Ryan seemed optimistic about their chances of playing against the Patriots.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '