Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Eric Lindros Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Always a pleasure; really enjoy your column. Keep up the good work. In the Bruins/Panthers game Tuesday with less than 10 seconds to play, Tim Thomas - clearly frustrated - took a swipe at Soderberg with his stick. He was assessed a two-minute minor for high sticking. I am curious as to why this was not a match penalty and perhaps even a suspendable action. It seems to me had a skater done a similar action, as blatant as it was, it would be deemed as such. I believe this would fall under Rule 60.4, but am not certain. Can you please comment on this play and explain what the ref/linesman saw (or failed to see), to deem it a mere minor high sticking penalty? Thank you (I was trying to work the word qualm in there somewhere, since I know you like it so much)! Dear Anonymous Friend: I have no qualms in telling you that Tim Thomas deserved a match penalty under Rule 60.4 for the one-handed tomahawk swing with his heavy goalie stick paddle to the neck of Bruins forward Carl Soderberg. Regardless of the score or time in the game, or whether the blow was in retaliation for Thomas being contacted on the shoulder by Soderbergs stick inside the blue paint, a match penalty was warranted based solely on the degree of force and especially the location of the blow with the goal stick to the neck of Soderberg. While no apparent injury resulted to Soderberg this was a very dangerous play that should be addressed by the Player Safety Committee. At the very least, a substantial fine should be levied to Tim Thomas even if that Committee does not deem the stick swing to be worthy of a suspension. It is acknowledged in the rules that a goalkeepers unique equipment is not only designed to provide protection and to stop the puck but that when used in an altercation can do considerable damage to an opponent. For that reason, Rule 51.3 provides that a match penalty must be assessed if, in the judgment of the referee, a goalkeeper uses his blocking glove to punch an opponent in the head or face in an attempt to deliberately injure an opponent. The manner in which Tim Thomas used his heavy goalie stick last night falls well within the spirit and intent of the match penalty rule. The reason the referee most likely assessed only a minor penalty on this stick swing was based on his obstructed view from behind the goal line against the end boards. I continually state this not the best location to view plays in and around the goal crease; as a matter of fact it is often the worst position for a referee to stand! I want you to look at the replay clip again; only this time through the eyes of the referee that made the call from behind the goal line. Tim Thomas swing was very quick and accelerated in real-time but most importantly, the ref, from his position, was looking directly through Brian Campbells back as Thomas stick made contact with Soderberg. Campbell then wrestled Soderberg to the ice so both players were now directly in the referees sight line. There was also a minor log jam of players out in front of the net (especially Tom Gilbert and Chris Kelly) that could have prevented the linesmen and the other referee from seeing the full force of Tim Thomas stick blow to Soderbergs neck. As quickly as it can happen, the full effect of a play can be missed or greatly diminished without the best sightline. I have no qualms admitting it, friend! Robert Hagg Jersey . Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick says thats the finding from an autopsy conducted Thursday by the county Medical Examiners Office. Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . "All he says is, its crazy," DeMar DeRozan told reporters following Torontos win over the Pistons Wednesday. The Raptors longest-serving members, Johnson and DeRozan have had two coaches and 56 different teammates in five seasons with the club, all without appearing in a single playoff game. http://www.nhlflyersproauthentic.com/travis-konecny-hockey-jersey/ .com) - Thursday marks the official debut of a new dirt racing surface at Meydan Racecourse.BOSTON -- The regular season wasnt much of a struggle for the Boston Bruins, and neither was their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings. Tuukka Rask made 31 saves Saturday, and the defending Eastern Conference champions eliminated the Red Wings with a 4-2 victory in Game 5. After finishing the regular season with the best record in the NHL, the Bruins advanced to the conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens. "That series was much tougher than maybe the results showed," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who gave Boston the lead for good with 4 seconds left in the second period. "I think that we handled it well, we came into this series ready and we got the job done." Loui Eriksson opened the scoring for Boston, and Charas goal on a 4-on-3 advantage snapped a 1-1 tie. Milan Lucic also scored, and Jarome Iginla added an empty-netter. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg scored and Jonas Gustavsson stopped 29 shots for Detroit. The Red Wings scored only six goals in the five-game series. "Were not there yet," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, whose team failed to win a playoff series in two of the past three seasons. "The last two years, we battled to get into the playoffs. To me, thats a measure of where we are. Instead of battling for the Cup, were battling to make the playoffs." It was 1-1 when the Bruins gained a 4-on-3 power play thanks to a holding penalty on Johan Franzen just 22 seconds before Brendan Smith was called for cross-checking. On a faceoff in the Detroit zone, Patrice Bergeron lured two of the three Red Wings defenders toward the corner and then passed it across the ice to Chara, who one-timed it past Gustavsson. Not usually demonstrative, Chara felt this one was worth celebrating. "It was a big game and a big goal," he said. "So Im not afraid to show it." Lucics goal with 4:27 gone in the third made it a two-goal game. Detroit made it 3-2 with 3:52 left after Rask made two acrobatic saves but left the puck to the side of the nett for Zetterberg, the Red Wings captain who missed two months with back surgery and did not return until Game 4. Dale Weise Jersey. Less than a minute later, though the Wings were called for too many men on the ice, leaving them a man down while trying to finish the comeback. With 2 minutes left in the game, the Boston fans began chanting "We want the cup!" Next up: Montreal, which swept Tampa Bay. "Guys were never ever really talking about Montreal," Iginla said. "We know theyve won their series and theyre going to be next, but the only talk today was about thinking about Detroit and getting this series over." The Bruins won it all in 2011 and returned to the Stanley Cup finals last year before they were eliminated when the Chicago Blackhawks scored two goals in 17 seconds in the final 76 seconds of Game 6. Boston seems on its way for another long playoff run this year, finishing the regular season with the best record in the NHL. "We were playing a very good team, a team with a lot of experience, the President Trophy winners," Detroit forward Daniel Alfredsson said. "This is a team that was just playing better than us and we feel a little short." The Bruins scored a power-play goal 3:27 into the first period when Dougie Hamiltons pass bounced off a defenders skate to Eriksson in the slot. Rask earned an assist on the play -- his second career playoff point. It stayed that way until Datsyuk came in and scooped up a rebound 12 seconds into a second-period power play against Lucic for high-sticking. Notes: It was the first NHL playoff game for Red Wings D Xavier Oullette. ... Rask earned an assist on Bostons first goal, his second career playoff point. ... Jimmy Howard, who started in goal for Games 1-3 for Detroit, was the backup. ... Referee Steve Kozari took a puck in the face in the third period. He left the ice through the Bruins bench but returned after a delay of about 2 minutes. ... The Bruins killed off 14 of 15 power plays in the series before allowing a goal after Lucics high-sticking penalty in the second. 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