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. I am sitting here watching the remainder of the Bruins and Habs game. You have said on numerous occasions that referees do not decide games or in this case, series. Was that the case with Game 7? I have many calls that we could discuss but I only want to ask about the one called against Boston with 4:31 left in the game. Did that call not decide the series? That was an interference call, however to be fair, lets sit and review the game. Can you tell me that throughout the game(s) it was fair and the calls were fair? They let so much go and then make calls like snow on the goalies shoulder! When was the last time that was called? Definitely not in a Game 7! Brian Gamley Brian: First, the Montreal Canadiens were the better team on this night and deserved the win and the series. The Bruins were tight and out of sync throughout most of Game 7. If you look at the penalty called by referee Dave Jackson on Johnny Boychuk with 4:31 remaining in regulation time it is fair to determine that by the letter of the law interference was committed once Boychuk built a bridge with his stick and shoved Bournival to the ice shortly after the puck was chipped through the neutral zone. There is also some argument to make that since Bournival did not alter his path to get outside Boychuk, but instead skated a stride or two directly into the Bruins defender that contact was inevitable and no harm, no foul - resulted 130 feet from the Bruins net. Whatever you believe to be most accurate is your prerogative. I want to focus my attention on how this specific call, with the score 2-1 and 4:31 remaining in Game 7, fit into the overall standard that the refs employed throughout the game. When I do that, it is only reasonable to conclude there were too many inconsistencies to deem this a penalty at that particular time in the game. Before I explain why I believe this to be true I want to provide some background on how the officials prepare for a game of this nature and the assignment process. When approaching any playoff game, especially a deciding game or Game 7, it is vital that the officiating crew be well prepared mentally and physically. In this case, that process would actually begin at least a day before the game when the officials left home and travelled to Boston (they might have also anticipated or even been assigned to Game 7 prior to Game 6 being played in Montreal. In any event they would have likely watched that game closely on television). While the officials are responsible for their personal preparation and readiness, the series supervisor (in this case, Kris King) also has some responsibility to get the crew mentally prepared in a meeting he conducts at noon on the day of the game. He, of course, cant work the game for them so his job is more like that of a coach and motivator. Selecting the officials assigned to the game is the direct responsibility of Stephen Walkom, V.P. of Officiating based on his evaluation process and that of his supervisors and Hockey Operations. Referee Dan ORourke has been selected to work the Stanley Cup Final on a couple of occasions. Dave Jackson returned to playoff assignments this season under Stephen Walkom after not participating in the playoffs from 2010-13 under boss Terry Gregson. The first period was crucial for the referees to set an acceptable standard and tone that hopefully the players would respond to and could be consistently applied throughout the game. From almost the opening puck drop key decisions were made on calls and non-calls that made this objective almost impossible to be maintained and achieve success. On the very first shift, Brad Marchand caught Michael Bournival with a high-stick to the head just inside the Montreal blue line that went un-penalized. Marchand then received the first penalty at 6:18 of the game for goalie interference assessed by referee Jackson. On this play, it was Andrei Markov of the Canadiens that cross-checked Marchand in the neck and caused the Bruins player to fall through the crease and contact Carey Price. The first penalty call is often crucial to set the standard and this one clearly sent the wrong message. At approximately 9:48 of the first period, Reilly Smith was given a rough ride with an obvious leg/stick trip takedown in front of the Habs net by Josh Gorges as Price caught on incoming puck. The same referee was once again in good position to see the play but chose not to call this tripping/interference infraction. At the other end of the ice, Zdeno Chara received a holding penalty following a puck battle with Rene Bourque against the boards where some detainment was exerted by Chara and a quick call resulted from Dan ORourke. These decisions set a difficult standard for the referees to maintain as it appeared the game was being worked differently from end of the ice to the other. It only took seven seconds into the second period when Brad Marchand was whistled for stopping hard at the crease and penalized for a snow-shower on Habs goalie Price. These calls are typically something that needs to be addressed early in a series and not in game seven. It would be at this juncture that some "game management" as I described in yesterdays column could be used to the refs advantage. Then at 17:06, David Krejci had his lower glove hand slashed by Lars Eller on the back-check as Krejci was attempting to redirect a centering pass from Torey Krug. Krejci had words with referee Jackson when no call was made. So now we move to the Johnny Boychuk interference penalty that was called with 4:31 remaining in regulation time of Game 7. Given all of the above events, plus the fact that Bournival did not attempt to skate around Boychuk in addition to some embellishment on the play, it would have been the appropriate time for the referee to keep his arm down and allow the play to continue. Wholesale Cheap Jerseys . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. 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Wholesale Jerseys Online . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive.A Christmas wish for Canadas Major League Soccer teams - stability. With Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact appointing new head coaches last week, Toronto FCs Ryan Nelsen is now the longest serving manager of the three teams as he enters just his second season in charge of the club. Through seven seasons in MLS there has been constant change at Toronto FC both in management and playing personnel, while the Whitecaps and Impact are also yet to find the precious winning formula since joining the league. Carl Robinson was appointed as Martin Rennies successor in Vancouver last week as the Whitecaps named their third “permanent” head coach in as many MLS seasons. In Montreal, Frank Klopas was handed the job of replacing Marco Schallibaum as the Impact named the third head coach heading into just their third year in MLS. What all three clubs need now is stability. Robinson and Klopas were both handed multi-year contracts, and they need to be given time to implement a plan. Short-term success is desirable of course, but executing a plan that will make their teams playoff contenders for the long-term is much more important. Robinsons appointment was met with many plaudits within the game. Players from within the Whitecaps welcomed the promotion of the assistant coach and talked in glowing terms about his qualities, and those who have played alongside Robinson for club and country such as Arsenals Aaron Ramsey also voiced their belief that he will become a successful coach. I believe Robinson has all the qualities necessary to establish himself as a top coach in Major League Soccer, and hopefully he will be given the time and support from Whitecaps management to allow that to happen in Vancouver. At his introductory press conference, the former Welsh international made no secret of his desire to give younger players a chance in the first team. The Whitecaps have some excellent younger players coming through their Residency Program, along with those already in the team. The Whitecaps have the potential to be an exciting, young, attacking team next season, and Robinson seems to be the perfect person to lead the charge. Of course, it wont always be easy. A new head coach will make mistakes, and young players will lack consistency. It might take some time, but hopefully everyone connected to the club will support the plan and have patience in working towards long-term success. The departure of Marco Schallibaum in Montreal certainly came as no surprise after the Impact coach had been left in limbo following the clubs exit from the playoffs. Schallibaum got off to a fantastic start in Montreal before the team collapsed in tthe second half of the season, and the way they lost their discipline as they crashed out of the playoffs in Houston was totally unacceptable.dddddddddddd In mid-summer, it seemed certain that Schallibaum would return to the club for a second season, but now the Impact will be heading in a different direction for the third successive season. In their expansion year it was Jesse Marsch – a young head coach with vast experience as a player in Major League Soccer. His record was pretty good, but in the end his vision for how to achieve success didnt match with that of the owner Joey Saputo and Sporting Director Nick De Santis. They wanted to regain the Impacts identity and hired an experienced head coach from Europe who had very little knowledge of MLS. At first it seemed like a master-stroke, but the trials of a long MLS season took its toll on both Schallibaum and his team. So now its season three, and a third different type of coach. This time the Impact have tried to find some middle ground. Frank Klopas has European experience spending some of his playing days in Greece, but he also has a deep knowledge of Major League Soccer having been a player and coach in the league for almost two decades. Klopas has the European background that Saputo and DeSantis were looking for when they hired Schallibaum, and also the MLS knowledge they wanted when they chose Marsch. Klopas also has the experience to be able to continue developing the younger coaches within the Impact staff. As with Robinson and the Whitecaps, Klopas needs to be given time in Montreal. As we enter the 2014 season, Ryan Nelsen in Toronto has the shortest leash of the coaches in charge of Canadas three teams. The New Zealander had a poor squad to work with and management upheaval in his first year as a head coach, but now those issues have gone. With Tim Leiweke and Tim Bezbatchenko in charge, the club finally seems to be moving in the right direction. The squad of players will be much improved, and Nelsen will get the support he needs from above. However, Nelsen knows he has to get things right on the pitch quickly. “They wont give me much more time,” he said in a New Zealand newspaper interview this week. Toronto FC needs success or the club is in danger of becoming irrelevant. Stability is key, but Toronto doesnt have the luxury of giving the coach time to work things out. With what we have seen so far this offseason from Leiweke and Bezbatchenko, its likely Nelsen could have the best squad ever assembled by TFC to start a season. With those pieces in place, the pressure will be firmly on the coach to get the team to perform from day one. ' ' '