etween the pipes in Game 4, allowed both goals on 23 shots in the

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, Thanks for the blog, always a great read. I was just wondering about the something that happened in the Leafs/Canes game. So in the second period, Paul Ranger and Alex Semin took minors at the same stoppage. The game then went to 4-on-4, until Dion Phaneuf took a hooking penalty. This made it 4-on-3 for the Canes, which they proceeded to score on and Phaneuf came out of the box. My question is why did Phaneuf come out of the box instead of Ranger? And why does the NHL go to 4-on-4 instead of keeping it 5 on 5 and having the players wait for a whistle? Thanks again, look forward to continuing to read your blog. Thanks,Alex Gane Hey Alex: I hope everyone celebrated a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. CMon Ref is thrilled to return after a break for the holiday week. Thanks also to those that visited me @kfraserthecall on twitter with your questions from games during that period! The answer to your specific question Alex is found in Rule 19 (coincidental penalties) which states, "When one minor penalty is assessed to one player of each team at the same stoppage in play, these penalties will be served without substitution provided there are no other penalties in effect and visible on the penalty clocks. Both teams will therefore play four skaters against four skaters for the duration of the minor penalties." In your example, one minor penalty was assessed to one player of each team (Paul Ranger of the Leafs and Alex Semin of the Hurricanes) with no other previous penalties visible on the time clock. Semin and Rangers minor penalty times were therefore placed on the clock and served as per the rule. It is important to note the while the teams play 4 on 4 as a result of the one minor penalty to each player at the same stoppage it does not create a short-handed situation. From Rule 16, short-handed means that the team must be below the numerical strength of its opponent on the ice at the time the goal was scored. The minor or bench minor penalty which terminates is the one with the least amount of time on the clock. Thus coincident minor penalties to both Teams do not cause either side to be "short-handed." The formula used to determine minor penalty expiration when goals are scored against a short-handed team is as follows: i) Is the team scored against short-handed? ii) Is the team scored against serving a minor penalty on the clock? If both criteria are satisfied, the minor penalty with the least amount of time on the clock shall terminate except when coincidental penalties are being served. The penalty that caused the Leafs to become short-handed was the subsequent minor penalty assessed to Dion Phaneuf. Once the Canes power-play goal was scored the Leafs were entitled to relief by virtue of Phaneufs minor penalty. Why does the NHL not treat the minor penalties to Paul Ranger and Alex Semin as coincidental and play 5 on 5 you ask? The coincidental minor penalty rule has in fact changed back a forth since the mid 1980s. The Edmonton Oiler young guns led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and the cast of future Hall of Fame players were primarily responsible for the initial change from minor penalties being served (4 on 4 hockey) to being treated as coincidental (5-on-5). In late stages of a game with the score either tied or close, a huge advantage resulted for the skilled Oiler players when more ice space was created by a 4 on 4 situation. No one recognized this more than Oiler coach Glen Sather. One of his players would intelligently initiate an altercation or scrum with an opponent where punches were exchanged and a minor penalty to each player was assessed by the referee. The Oiler stars were even more difficult to contain with the extra ice afforded them which often resulted in the scoring of a goal. Eventually the rule was changed to its present form. We also see the entertaining benefits derived from 4 on 4 hockey during overtime in the regular season. Referees have also been instructed to penalize the instigator or aggressor in a scrum wherever possible to act as a deterrent. Cheap Athletics Jerseys . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday. Stitched Athletics Jerseys . The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils and then routed Roger Federer en route to his first Abu Dhabi title. "Its always great to win a title. This is the best way to start the 2012 season," Djokovic said. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . - While he appreciates suggestions from Packers fans of remedies for his sore left calf, Aaron Rodgers is not necessarily going to listen to the advice. Athletics Jerseys 2020 . GQ Lundqvist quite well.Three rounds, and nearly two months later, will the Kings have the strength to reach the summit of the Empire State to claim the cup?Truer words have never been spoken. Chris Bassitt Jersey . UEFA said Wednesday that the champions of England and France only have to include five home-trained players in their 21-man squads next season instead of the expected eight. Only one of the five players needs to be trained by the club itself.The final piece of the NHL conference final round will fall into place Friday when the Los Angeles Kings visit the Anaheim Ducks for a decisive Game 7 clash from the Honda Center. You can catch all of the action live NOW on TSN and TSN GO. The Eastern Conference finals are set with Montreal scheduled to host the New York Rangers in Game 1 on Saturday, but the Chicago Blackhawks are still waiting for an opponent in the West. The winner of Fridays game in Anaheim will face the defending Stanley Cup champions in the conference finals, with either the Ducks hosting the Blackhawks in Game 1 on Sunday or Los Angeles visiting Chicago on the same day. The Kings forced tonights Game 7 thanks to a 2-1 home victory on Wednesday. The close decision halted Anaheims three-game winning streak after losing the first two contests of this series on home ice. Anaheim is 2-3 all-time in Game 7s while the Kings are 5-4 in this situation. Despite dropping Games 1 and 2 in Orange County, the top-seeded Ducks are 4-2 as the host in this postseason. L.A. is 4-3 on the road, but had won four straight as the guest before dropping Game 5 in Anaheim by a 4-3 score. In order to get past the Kings, however, Anaheim will have to end Los Angeles string of elimination wins during this postseason. The Kings won four in a row to beat San Jose in the opening round after dropping the first three games of that set, becoming the fourth club in NHL history to win a series after falling behind 3-0. L.A. pushed that streak to five with Wednesdays win at the Staples Center. Jake Muzzin and Trevor Lewis each lit the lamp in Game 6 and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots to help the Kings stay alive. L.A., which won its first Stanley Cup title in 2012, is attempting to make it to the conference final stage for a third straight spring. Anze Kopitar posted an assist for the Kings, giving him at least one point in 12 of his teams 13 playoff games.ddddddddddddKopitar is leading the league with 17 points on four goals and 13 assists this postseason. Muzzin opened the scoring with his third of the playoffs 8:16 into the game, while Lewis netted the eventual game-winner with 5:56 left in the second. Kyle Palmieri found the back of the net just 1:38 later to get the Ducks within one, but Quick turned aside all 10 shots he faced in the third to set the stage for this evenings winner-take-all contest. L.A. improved to 6-1 this postseason when scoring first. "Were a good team. Any team thats still playing this time of year has got a good team and knows how to win," Quick said. "Itll be a good game (Game 7) and weve got to get our rest and be ready." Anaheim rookie John Gibson, who had stopped 67-of-70 shots since making his postseason debut between the pipes in Game 4, allowed both goals on 23 shots in the setback. "You want to win it when you can, and we didnt get it done," Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Well get better and well get ready, and well play a hell of a game Friday." The 20-year-old Gibson burst on the scene with a 28-save shutout in Game 4 and stopped 39-of-42 shots in Mondays close victory. It was the first loss at the NHL level for Gibson, who was 3-0 for Anaheim during the regular season in 2013-14 before winning Games 4 and 5 of this series. The Ducks are aiming for their first trip to the conference finals since 2007, when the franchise won its only Stanley Cup title. This series, which has been dubbed the "Freeway Faceoff," is the first playoff matchup between these Southern California rivals. Fridays game could be the last in the standout career of Ducks winger Teemu Selanne, who expects to retire after this season. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer has compiled 684 regular-season goals and 1,457 points in over two decades in the league. ' ' '