ht was very entert

Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at [e-mail] jerseys .ca. Hi, The Leafs/Canadiens game Saturday night was very entertaining, right up until the penalty in overtime against Bernier and the Leafs. Can you please explain what Bernier did wrong to be awarded that penalty in OT? Thanks,Brad Mains ----- Kerry, In the game last night - Leafs and Habs - the ref called a penalty on Bernier for delay of game in OT. I know it is a rule in the books, but has not been called, IMO, very much. It is the rule, but my question is this - Was calling it OT a fair thing to do?  I realize the ref was damned if did and damned if not! What is your take on this. Cheers! Ray Bungay ----- Kerry: In the Toronto - Montreal game, there was a penalty handed to Bernier of Toronto for Delay of game for coming out of his net and smothering the puck with a Montreal player right there.  This seems an unusual if not unnecessary call, given it was in the overtime.  I have never seen this before.  What is the basis for the call? Your views would be helpful. Ted Baskerville ----- Hi Kerry,The Leafs Habs game Saturday night, the overtime penalty assessed to Bernier. I have seen many goalies cover the puck well outside their crease, I asked a goalie friend of mine and he said he was taught as long as the goalie can reach or has some part of himself in the crease it can be covered outside of the crease. Is this a rule? I believe Bernier was still in the crease when he dove at the puck then slid for another couple of feet. Was that the right call or am I just another bitter Leafs fan. Thanks,Chris Stevens Brad, Ray, Ted and Chris: I dont want to add fuel to the "bitterness" some Leafs fans might feel or even demonstrate on occasion but the delay of game penalty that Jonathan Bernier was assessed in the overtime loss to the Canadiens on Saturday was a must call for the referee to make regardless of the score or the time remaining in the game! In every case, when a goalkeeper skates out of his net and covers on a loose puck that far from his crease a delay of game penalty should be assessed as per the rule. This infraction committed by the goalkeeper should applied with the same consistency as the puck over glass rule that we saw called against Peter Budaj (8:31 of first period) and Phil Kessel with just 31 seconds remaining in regulation time. From Rule 63.2: 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 game. The long stretch pass that PK Subban fired near the Habs goal line was too hot for Daniel Briere to handle cleanly at the Leafs blue line and created a race for a loose puck with Bernier on the potential scoring opportunity. A scoring opportunity was clearly eliminated when Bernier got to the puck first and covered it with his glove to cause a stoppage in play as opposed to legally playing the puck with his goal stick. The referee whistled the play dead and raised his arms in an upward fashion but did not immediately or emphatically signal a penalty to Bernier as he should have.  A slower, perhaps methodical response by the ref was evident in both the camera shot and the minute of run-on commentary by the broadcasters before it became evident to them that a penalty to Bernier had been assessed. While you have never seen this penalty called Ted, I can assure you that I personally assessed it a number of times during my 30-year NHL officiating career. Whenever I had the occasion to make this call I did so immediately with an emphatic signal so there was no doubt or confusion in anyones mind that a penalty was assessed to the goalkeeper in this unique situation. Jonathan Bernier clearly violated rule 63.2 at 3:14 of the overtime period. The correct call was made by the referee and resulted in Max Paciorettys eventual power play game-winning goal.   cheap jerseys . Bortles, one of three quarterbacks vying to be the first taken in the NFL Draft in May alongside Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel, helped his cause by impressing scouts with a clean performance at the UCF Pro Day Wednesday, according to reports. cheap jerseys from china . PAUL, Minn. HOUSTON -- After a tough June where Justin Upton has hit under .200, the Atlanta Braves hope the last two games are an indication that hell get back to where he was earlier this season. Upton homered for the second straight game and drove in three runs and Alex Wood pitched seven scoreless innings to help the Braves to a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. "When he gets hot like this its really, really something to watch," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Hopefully this is the beginning of one of those big runs that he can give us." Upton is hitting just .185 this month, but his average for the season is .272 after a great start to the year. "Im seeing the ball and hitting it, thats about it," Upton said. "Ive gotten some good pitches to hit and Ive put good swings on them." Shae Simmons and Juan Jaime finished the three-hitter as the Astros were shut out for the 10th time this season. The Braves had just two hits when Upton launched his 16th homer, a two-run shot into the bullpen in right-centre, to make it 3-0 in the seventh inning. Collin McHugh (4-6) had plunked Jason Heyward to set up things for Upton. Upton drove in Atlantas first run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. He joked that Wood owed him a treat of some kind for providing most of the offence in the win. "Just maybe get an ice cream cone or something," Upton said with a laugh. "Theyve got some good ice cream in there, at least get a scoop of ice cream." Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman left in the eighth after being hit by a pitch on what appeared to be his right elbow. He was examined by a doctor and said he was fine and hoped the swelling wasnt too bad on Thursday so he could play. Wood (6-6) was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his first start since May 4 after appearing in 11 games out of the bullpen in his last stint with the Braves. He allowed three hits and struck out four with one walk. "He did a nice job," Gonzalez said. "Mixed all his pitches ... his breaking ball, his fastball, threw some nice change ups." Gonzalez was encouraged by Woods performaance in filling in for Gavin Floyd, who had surgery this week after breaking a bone in his throwing elbow. cheap nfl jerseys. Simmons and Jaime struck out two apiece in a hitless inning apiece. McHugh struck out nine in his third straight loss. "He made a mistake to a really good hitter, and he didnt miss it," manager Bo Porter said of Uptons homer. "But outside of that one pitch, I feel like he was in complete control of the game the entire time." B.J. Upton doubled and took third on a balk before scoring on a groundout by Tommy La Stella to push Atlantas lead to 4-0 in the eighth. Evan Gattis doubled to start the second and scored on the one-out sacrifice fly by Justin Upton. McHugh walked a pair in the fourth inning, but the Braves didnt get another hit until Freeman singled with two outs in the sixth. Freeman was tagged out trying to stretch it into a double to end the inning. Dexter Fowler hit a leadoff double in the first, and was thrown out at third trying to advance on Jose Altuves grounder. Houston didnt get another runner until rookie Jon Singleton snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a ground-rule double to right-centre field with two outs in the fourth. The ball got lodged under the wall and Singleton was already heading toward home when he was called back to second base. Wood got right back on track after Singletons hit and set down the next five Astros before walking Fowler with one out in the sixth. George Springer singled with two outs to put runners at the corners, but Wood struck out Singleton to escape the jam. NOTES: Braves LHP Ryan Buchter was optioned to Gwinnett to make room for Wood on the roster. ... The Astros recalled OF L.J. Hoes from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned OF Robbie Grossman there before the game. ... Atlanta RHP David Carpenter, on the disabled list with a strained right biceps, felt good after throwing a bullpen on Tuesday and is scheduled to throw another one on Thursday. ... SS Carlos Correa, Houstons top prospect and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, had season-ending surgery on Wednesday after breaking his right fibula. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '