Kellermann-Strauss Forum » d 105-81 after three quarters and cruised to th

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, Im sure its been asked a million times but during the Habs game Manny Malhotra was ejected out of the face off in the dying seconds of the first that resulted in the Stars winning the faceoff and scoring. Then as I continue to watch the game, or any NHL game in my life for that matter, the linesmen are ejecting guys out of the dot or waiting longer to drop it. My question: what are these guys looking for to drop the black rubber thing on the ice? John Cobb John: In one word, the linesmen are looking for fairness! They want to conduct a fair drop to ensure that one player doesnt gain a distinct advantage over the other by cheating. With the multitude of face-off markings that are on ice, in addition to the procedure spelled out in Rule 76 (face-offs) it really shouldnt be all that difficult for the centers to stand squarely with their stick on the ice in the shaded area of the dot. It all sounds good in theory but as Dale Hunter once told me, Frase, if you aint cheatin you aint tryin! Manny Malhotra is without a doubt the premier face-off expert in the NHL. I can tell you that Manny is also a real solid citizen and a class act. Those fine qualities, however, do not prevent the Habs player from subscribing to Hunters theory whenever he can get away with it. With 2.5 seconds remaining in the first period and a face-off to the right of Carey Price, Malhotra keyed on Mike Cviks hand once the big linesman presented the black disc in preparation of dropping it. As Honda applied finger pressure to the puck just prior to releasing it, Manny jumped prematurely with a stick swing that eliminated opposing center Jason Spezzas stick before drawing the puck cleanly on his backhand. Malhotra beat Cvik to the draw by exerting contact to his opponent and the linesman had no alternative but to eject the Montreal specialist from the face-off. (Here is a test for you. Hold your thumb and pointer-finger together and apply pressure. The fine muscles in your hand will twitch and your thumb nail will even change color at the tip. That creates the trigger switch for an expert like Manny Malhotra to move on. Each linesman can grip the puck a little differently and demonstrate a tell as to the moment he will drop the puck. Experts like Manny Malhotra study these individual tendencies) Players must adhere to the following guidelines and enforced by the linesmen as per Rule 76.4, which states that when the face-off takes place in any of the end face-off circles, the players taking part shall take their position so that they will stand squarely facing their opponents end of the rink, and clear of the ice markings. The sticks of both players facing-off shall have the blade on the ice, within the designated white area. The visiting player shall place his stick within the designated white area first followed immediately by the home player. It really shouldnt be all that difficult for players to follow those clear instructions. Violations that result in an ejection are: i) One or both centers are not positioned for the face-off, ii) One or both centers refrain from placing their stick on the ice, iii) Any player has encroached into the face-off circle, iv) Any player makes physical contact with an opponent, or v) Any player who lines up for the face-off in an off-side position. A referees best friend is a moving puck. Trust me when I tell you I wanted face-offs to be conducted by the linesmen as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible. I respect their need for maintaining the integrity of an end-zone face-off because, as we saw in this situation, a goal resulted just prior to the horn sounding. Fans get frustrated and frequently blame the linesmen when players are ejected from the face-off circle or it seems to take forever to drop the puck. The last thing any linesman wants is to become the goat when a flawed face-off results in a goal. As much as I respect their position, I have to admit that I stood on the goal line many times and uttered under my breath, just drop the puck! One night in the Joe Lewis Arena, my friend and colleague linesman Dan McCourt was taking forever to drop the puck for an end zone face-off. I finally skated into the face-off circle from my opposite side goal-line position and said to Chief, The artist sitting in the first row just informed me that he has finished your still portrait and its okay for you to drop the puck now. Just open your hand and let gravity take over! You can imagine what linesman Chief Dan McCourt told me to do. I still chuckle how the two centers just about fell over laughing as I skated back to my position. The puck eventually fell and another perfect face-off was conducted. Wholesale Air Jordan 1 Australia . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. Air Jordan 1 Australia . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. http://www.wholesaleairjordan1australia.com/. Andrews, Scotland - Oliver Wilson fired a final- round, 2-under 70 on Sunday and he held on to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by one shot. Air Jordan 1 Retro Cheap . - This win was more the New Jersey Devils style. Air Jordan 1 For Sale Cheap . -- Nick Bjugstad snapped out of his scoring slump and spoiled Drew MacIntyres first NHL start. DENVER -- Kenneth Faried was all smiles in Denvers locker room. And with good reason. The Nuggets forward scored a career-high 34 points and added 13 rebounds to lead Denver to a 137-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. "When I got my second foul, I sat down and looked up said, Wow, I have nine (points) already. I havent really played that much. This might be a career game," Faried said. "Thats what I love to do -- have fun and play basketball. When its that exciting and that much fun you have no worries, really. You just think about winning. "Coach (Brian Shaw) wanted me to impose my will on (the Pelicans) Anthony Davis ... not shy away or back down." That wasnt an issue in the second half, when Davis sat out with back spasms. He finished with six points and three rebounds. Tyreke Evans scored 27 points to lead New Orleans. The Nuggets raced to a 40-26 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back, making 15 of 27 3-pointers compared to 2 of 9 for New Orleans, a 39-point difference. The 137 points tied the Nuggets season scoring high. "They (Nuggets) just ran up and down the court and did what they wanted to do. They did make some unbelievable 3s, they were on fire tonight," Evans said. "We knew that at the beginning of the game Faried was going to come out aggressive and we didnt do a good job of stopping him." The Pelicans had no answers inside for Faried, who went unchecked numerous times for backdoor dunks and easy short jumpers. "I think that is how Faried should be playing," teammate Ty Lawson said. "I compare him to a little bit like Charles Barkley the way he can get the ball to the rim, make good decisions and pass it." Farieds previous career best was 32 points against the Lakers on March 7. "He is succeeding in areas he has struggled in before and so that is just making him supremely confident," Shaw said.dddddddddddd "When you have that (confidence) then the game starts to slow down for you." The Pelicans trailed 71-53 at halftime. The 71 points were the most they allowed in the first half this season. The previous high was 64 points twice. "We didnt play well to start the game. In the month of March we set a high bar for how we can play, regardless of whos on the floor," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "Since Ive been here weve never given up these type of numbers with our defence." Denver led 105-81 after three quarters and cruised to the victory from there. "Thats the toughest part for me, allowing teams to score like that," Williams said. "Thought they had way too many easy points in the paint." Reserve Aaron Brooks scored 24 points for Denver, going 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. "I just wanted to be more aggressive. Talked to coach before the game and he said he wanted at least three, so I got that quota," Brooks said. "The big guy (Davis) wasnt in there (in the second half), and once hes out its time to attack the rim. We shared the ball and had a lot of assists." The victory moved the Nuggets ahead of the Pelicans for 11th place in the Western Conference and gave them a split of the four-game season series. The Nuggets led in assists (34-21) and blocks (12-7) and committed fewer turnovers (11-16). The Pelicans held a 42-40 rebounding edge. NOTES: Nuggets F Wilson Chandler missed his sixth straight game with a left groin strain. ... Pelicans G Eric Gordon missed his seventh consecutive game with tendinitis in his left knee. ... The Nuggets tied their season high with 12 blocks. . The Nuggets 15 3-pointers tied their season high. ' ' '