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, I have a question on a New Years Eve game between the Oilers and Coyotes. With 43.3 seconds left in the third period, Edmonton goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov caught a puck that was dumped in from outside the zone, skated out a few feet and dropped the puck to keep the play alive, then had second thoughts and dropped to cover the puck well outside his goal crease. There was no penalty called on the play. My question is...why not? I thought the goalie could only cover the puck outside his crease if he had come out to make a save. Isnt it a delay of game penalty otherwise? The Coyotes won the game in overtime, so in the end it didnt matter, but this seems too obvious a thing for the officials to just miss, so Im hoping you can straighten out my understanding of the rule. Thanks.Kevin FisherTucson, AZ Kevin: There is considerable "black and white" reference within the rules to support calling a delay of game penalty on Ilya Brygalov with 43.4 seconds remaining with the score tied once the goalkeeper froze the puck outside of crease to gain a stoppage in play. As we examine the entire circumstance surrounding the play I hope you will come to the logical conclusion that the referee exercised sound judgment and common sense in not penalizing Bryz once he (the ref) allowed the play to continue. As a result of this allowance, there came a point where Ilya Bryzgalov had no other safe option than to cover the puck. The most obvious rule references calling for the assessment of a penalty are contained in 63.2 and 67.3: - A minor penalty shall be imposed on any player, including the goalkeeper, who holds, freezes or plays the puck with his stick, skates or body in such a manner as to deliberately cause a stoppage of play. With regard to a goalkeeper, this rule applies outside of his goal crease area. - If a goalkeeper comes out of his crease to "cut down the angle" on a shot and after making the save covers the puck, this shall be legal. If the goalkeeper races out of his crease in an attempt to beat the attacking player to the puck and instead of playing the puck jumps on the puck causing a stoppage of play, this shall be a minor penalty for delay of the game. - A goalkeeper who holds the puck with his hands for longer than three seconds shall be given a minor penalty unless he is actually being checked by an opponent. The object of this entire rule is to keep the puck in play continuously and any action taken by the goalkeeper which causes an unnecessary stoppage must be penalized without warning. While the language contained herein provides plenty of cannon fodder to call a penalty with regard to the end result, (puck frozen by Bryz outside his crease) we have to consider the play in its entirety to avoid an unjust determination and overreaction. Antoine Vermette back handed the puck at the net which Ilya Bryzgalov caught on the extreme left side of his goal crease. Vermette followed his shot and effectively checked the goalkeeper from that angle which provided an allowance for Bryz to freeze the puck under the rules. A decision was then made by Bryzgalov to keep the play going by laterally skating with the puck through and outside of his crease perhaps 5 to 8 feet; which the referee allowed! Once Bryzgalov dropped the puck from his catching glove to the ice, with full intent to keep the play moving, the goalkeeper was quickly checked by Lauri Korpikoski of the Coyottes and placed in harms way. Since Bryz was a minimal distance outside of his crease, coupled with the fact that the referee allowed the play to continue when he could have blown the play dead previously, good judgment was exercised by the referee not to assess a penalty for delay of the game. We (refs) encourage the goalies to keep the play moving and it would be terribly unjust if they were subsequently penalized when an attacker quickly sealed off any option for a safe movement of the puck. The optimum word here is quickly. Brygalovs primary intent was to keep the play moving by playing the puck and not to gain a stoppage in play. His legitimate freezing of the puck was necessitated by the quick fore-check by Lauri Korpikoski. Kevin, I just had a flashback to Greg Millen playing goal for the Hartford Whalers. Far too many times to count I saw Millen catch the puck within his goal crease and skate straight up the middle like a rocket navigating through player traffic while looking for safe ice to drop and play the puck! I always blew the whistle before he got too far into his sprint but certainly when he was well outside of his goal crease. On more than one occasion I told Greg he was going to get steam rolled with a body check before I could get the whistle to my mouth. Each time Millen attempted to keep the play moving in this fashion he returned to his goal crease with a big grin evident beneath his wire cage mask. We know goalies have a much different approach to the Universe and other matters! Common sense and good judgment must prevail. The referee exercised both qualities by not penalizing Ilya Bryzgalov in the game on New Years Eve Day. Ja... Halak Jersey . How? Crosby and the Penguins dished out the kind of punishment they can only hope swings the series back their way. 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Katz, 62, purchased an expansion franchise in the Northern League in 1994 and named the team the Winnipeg Goldeyes, a name which was originally used by an affiliate of the St.SAN DIEGO -- John Fox sent text messages to several Denver Broncos on Sunday morning, wishing them good luck against the San Diego Chargers. The Broncos will reciprocate by giving a game ball to their coach, whos at his off-season home in Charlotte, N.C., recovering from heart surgery. With interim coach Jack Del Rio in charge, Peyton Manning threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns, three to Demaryius Thomas, as he efficiently led the Broncos to a 28-20 victory in their first game since Fox had his aortic valve replaced last Monday. Fox was released Friday and will continue his recovery at his off-season home. "We look forward to giving it to him in person," Manning said. Manning said he spoke with Fox by phone on Saturday before the Broncos flew to San Diego. "I told him not to be yelling at me during the game. Its not good for his blood pressure," Manning said. "Im not sure well see if he did or didnt. But he was in our thoughts. Coach Del Rio has done a good job all week keeping us updated on coach Fox." Fox planned to watch the game on TV there, a team spokesman said. If he watched, he probably didnt like seeing Manning hurting his right ankle when he was hit by Corey Liuget as the Broncos ran out the clock in the closing minutes. Manning stayed in the game. Manning wouldnt be specific about his injury, but said he was "pretty sore" and that he planned to have an MRI on Monday. Manning was hurt after completing a pass to Thomas with 1:44 left. "We were playing aggressively to win the game right there," Del Rio said. "He made a throw, D.T. made a catch and that was the ballgame. He got up and didnt want to come off -- very proud guy -- and closed out the game for us." Asked about playing in the Broncos showdown with AFC West leader Kansas City (9-0) next Sunday night, Manning said: "I totally plan on it." Manning kept the Broncos (8-1) rolling. He threw touchdown passes of 11, 7 and 34 yards to Thomas on consecutive drives spanning the second and third quarters, staking the Broncos to a 28-6 lead. Julius Thomas had a 74-yard catch-and-run on Denvers first drive, turning a short pass into the second-longest play by a tight end in team history. Liuget said it wasnt an intentional hit. "I was trying to get to him because I knew how critical it could be to us as a defence to get to him. I was just working it and trying to be the guy. Im not sure how I caught him but I hope he is OK. Its not anything that is going to stop him from being Peyton Manning." The Broncos scoring drives lasted 57 seconds; 2 minutes, 27 seconds, 1:25, and 3:26. "You knew it wasnt going to be many possesssions and we had to be efficient when we had the ball," Manning said.dddddddddddd. Manning has thrown for 3,249 yards and 33 touchdowns in nine games. He completed 25 of 36 passes against the Chargers. The Chargers (4-5) closed the gap late in the second half but couldnt catch up. The Chargers were inside the Denver 23 three times in their first four possessions and had to settle for field goals of 26 and 40 yards by Nick Novak. Novak was wide left on a 37-yard attempt with 1:38 left before halftime. "Three opportunities, you get six points and they score 28," said Chargers rookie coach Mike McCoy, who was Denvers offensive co-ordinator the past four seasons. "As you go along that is critical. When you play Peyton you have to get touchdowns. Weve just got to do a better job." Mannings big afternoon was marred only when rookie linebacker Tourek Williams hit Manning from behind and knocked the ball loose, with Donald Butler recovering at the Denver 11 midway through the third quarter. Two plays later, Philip Rivers found Danny Woodhead for a 7-yard scoring pass. The Chargers pulled to 28-20 on Ryan Mathews 1-yard touchdown run on third down with 10:42 to play. A week earlier, the Chargers had the ball first-and-goal from the Washington 1 before Woodhead was stuffed and Rivers threw two incompletions before settling for a field goal to force overtime. The Redskins won 30-24. Novaks miss late in the second quarter gave Manning enough time to move the Broncos 73 yards in nine plays, all passes, capped by his 7-yard scoring throw to Demaryius Thomas for a 21-6 lead before halftime. Manning threw only one incompletion that drive. The Broncos got the opening kickoff of the second half and went 78 yards in eight plays, with Thomas 34-yard TD catch giving the Broncos a 28-6 lead. "So its a 14-point swing -- the difference in the ballgame," Manning said. The Chargers finished the game without left tackle King Dunlap, who sustained his third concussion this season, and centre Nick Hardwick, who had a stinger. Rookie right tackle D.J. Fluker moved to left tackle. Rivers completed 19 of 29 passes for 218 yards. NOTES: The Broncos have scored 371 points, the most through the first nine games of a season in NFL history. The previous high of 358 was by the 1950 Los Angeles Rams. ...Broncos LB Nate Irving injured a shoulder. ... The Chargers said LT King Dunlap had a concussion, his third this season. Other Chargers injured were C Nick Hardwick (stinger), LB Larry English (bicep) and fullback LeRon McClain (ankle). ... It was the 300th win under Broncos owner and CEO Pat Bowlen. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys from china ' ' '