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. Hello Kerry, After watching Nino Niederreiter clobber Alex Burrows with an open-ice hit on Wednesday, do you think he should have gotten more than the two minutes for interference. He got him in the head with his shoulder! Thanks,Gary Gary: While I do not like the contact that Nino Niederreiter delivered to the head of Alexandre Burrows one bit, a two-minute penalty was about all the refs could assess on this play under the rules. A more meaningful and deserved penalty to Niederreiter should come his way via a Player Safety Committee review of this illegal check to the head. I watched Mike Milburys take on this play during the NBC intermission of the Rangers-Flyers game last night. Mike didnt agree with the "interference" call since the puck had just left Burrows stick. Beyond that, Milburys comments relative to the Niederreiter hit included, "I dont mind it. I think its more than 2 minutes he should have got." (Which I interpret as no penalty was deserved in Mikes opinion.)I completely agree with one element of Mike Milburys assessment on this play; it was not interference! Nino Niederreiter however should be held accountable for the significant contact he delivered with his shoulder cap to the head of Alex Burrows from the side; which by the way I believe was avoidable. For ongoing player safety this hit, and all similar in nature, need to be regarded as an illegal check to the head in violation of rule 48.2—on a hit resulting in contact with an opponents head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable. That can only happen if those responsible for doling out punishment interpret the rule verbiage, "main point of contact" to mean "significant" contact to the head coupled with some/secondary contact with the body. Alexandre Burrows lowered his posture to reach for a puck through the neutral zone. After gaining puck possession Burrows straightened to an upright body position, glided a couple of feet and then released the puck. Nino Niederreiter approached from the side angle position with his skates in a glide and his posture coiled (knees bent and flexed) to deliver a body check that would appear at, least through this setup, to make contact squarely through Burrows body. Just prior to delivering the hit Niederreiter stiffened his legs, thereby elevating his posture significantly upwards towards the head of Burrows. From this strike position, Niederreiter slipped his body just off the center line of Burrows and continued to elevate his shoulder that made significant contact with the head of Alex Burrows. The contact delivered off the center body line and to the head of Burrows resulted in a helicopter freefall for the Vancouver Canuck player. I doubt very much we would even be talking about this play if Nino Niederreiter had maintained a lowered and flexed posture from the setup and approach through contact of his intended hit on Alexandre Burrows. Like most players however, Neiderrreiter made the dangerous decision to increase velocity through the hit by straightening with an upward drive of his legs and shoulder cap that had no other place to connect than the head area of his opponent. Rule 48.1 (i) (ii) (iii) provides lots of reasons to determine whether contact with an opponents head was avoidable. Practically all of these allowances place considerable onus on the recipient/victim of the hit. From (iii) Alexandre Burrows did not "materially change the position of his body or head immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit in a way that significantly contributed to the head contact." The material change in position came from Nino Niederreiter. If the rule verbiage doesnt qualify hits of this nature as a "head pick," at the very least it needs to be acknowledged that significant contact resulted from an illegal hit to the head in an ongoing effort to hold players accountable. Pat McAfee Womens Jersey .com) - The Vancouver Canucks hope an upcoming stretch of home games will be enough to get the club into the postseason. Bobby Okereke Colts Jersey . City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authent...r-colts-jersey/. Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Marshall Faulk Colts Jersey .com) - John Wall had 15 points, 12 assists and four steals as the Washington Wizards defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 92-85 on Monday night. Kenny Moore Youth Jersey . But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After a forgettable weekend, Anton Khudobin helped the Carolina Hurricanes get a much-needed victory on Tuesday night. Khudobin made a career-high 46 saves and Andrei Loktionov and Patrick Dwyer each had a goal and an assist to send Carolina past the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. Nathan Gerbe also scored, and Jay Harrison added two assists for the Hurricanes, who were criticized by coach Kirk Muller after weekend losses to Boston and Edmonton. "In the neutral zone we did a better job of getting speed and getting on the forecheck," Carolinas Jordan Staal said. Boone Jenner scored for Columbus, which outshot the Hurricanes 19-0 in the third period. Carolina jumped ahead at 3:41 on its first shot. Gerbe grabbed a loose puck that defenceman Fedor Tyutin couldnt handle and on an odd-man rush and scored his 15th of the season from the right circle. "When you score first its always important and gives you a little confidence," Khudobin said. "Im happy with the win. I would probably be more happy if I didnt get scored on with like a minute left. But we got the result, we won. Thats most important for me." The Hurricanes were close to a playoff spot on Feb. 7, but they entered the game having lost nine of 12 and are likely to miss the post-season again. The Blue Jackets are in a tight race in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They dropped a rare one at home where they are 10-3-1 in their past 14. "It seemed we had some pretty good quality chances," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "We hit a couple posts (during the game). We had our opportunities. I think we were doing some things to create offence. We just werent able to finish." Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 20 shots.dddddddddddd. He was replaced by Curtis McElhinney to start the third period. Early in the second period, Loktionov poked home his fifth to make it 2-0 on the power play -- and Carolinas eighth shot -- with Jenner in the box for delay of game. Bobrovksy stopped Harrisons point shot -- that broke the stick of Columbus Derek MacKenzie propelling the blade into the slot -- but defenceman Jack Johnson couldnt stop Loktionov. "I think the second period we picked it up and basically we scored at the right time with timely goals," Muller said. Columbus had chances the rest of the period, but couldnt beat Khudobin, who made a nice stop on R.J. Umberger. The Blue Jackets took two more penalties in the period that tempered their momentum. Then with room down the right side, Dwyer scored his seventh at 17:20 on a slap shot from the right circle that beat Bobrovsky near side. In the third period, Khudobin turned aside one shot after another until Jenner scored his 13th on a redirection with 50 seconds left. "Its funny, weve been on the other end so many times this year outshooting teams and coming up short," Muller said. "Change it around tonight and your goalie wins the hockey game. I guess it balances it out." Notes: The 47 shots for Columbus were a season high. ...The Hurricanes last won in Columbus on March 8, 2004, a span of four games. ... Blue Jackets LW Blake Comeau knocked Hurricanes D Ryan Murphy from the game in the first period with a hit into the glass. It was Comeaus first game since a two-game suspension for boarding Red Wings defenceman Brendan Smith. ... Hurricanes C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk fell ill and were late scratches. ' ' '