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. replica jerseys china . Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. 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The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later.The challenge awaiting Canadas Adonis Stevenson at the Pepsi Colisee is not just opponent Dmitry Sukhotsky, but the distraction of a bigger fight waiting down the road.Stevenson (24-1), the power punching lefthander from Montreal, will make the fourth defence of his World Boxing Council light heavyweight title on Friday night against little-known Sukhotsky (22-2). The fight is to be shown on the Showtime specialty channel in the U.S.If he keeps his focus, Stevenson should win.And a win would put him into what should be the top fight in the division in 2015.This week, the WBC ordered Stevenson to face the winner of what it presumptuously called an eliminatory bout on March 14 in Montreal between his hometown rival Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev, who holds the other three titles that matter, those of the IBF, WBA and WBO.My plan is to face Kovalev in 2015, but first we need to focus and win this fight, Stevenson said this week. Then we can talk 2015.I know (Sukhotsky) is a tough contender. And I know hes training very hard for this fight. Hes going to try to surprise me, but Im very prepared.Stevenson has been criticized for ducking the top fighters in his division, notably Kovalev, an accusation he denies.Both fighters were on a card in Quebec City in November, 2013 that was supposed to set up a Stevenson-Kovalev showdown. But the Canadian signed with manager Al Haymon and moved from HBO to Showtime and Kovalev opted instead to fight veteran Bernard Hopkins, who he dominated for 12 rounds in November, on HBO.Now the WBC has acted to make sure the fight happens, but Kovalev needs to get past Pascal, the former WBC champ who will be fighting on home turf at the Bell Centre.The Quebec City fight card should be a good one.The co-feature has American super-middleweight Andre Dirrell (23-1) against Derek Edwards (27-3-1) in an elimination bout for the top ranking in the IBF. Dirrell is on a comeback from a brain injury suffered during a win over Arthur Abraham in 2010. He is determined to become a world champion.He came close in 2009 when he lost a split decision to super-middleweight king Carrl Froch in England.ddddddddddddDirrell is in his third fight in six months and says he is back on top form.I want that rematch with Carl Froch, he said. Hes the IBF Champion and a win on Friday will bring me closer to fighting him again and proving that I beat him the first time.Edwards is 2-3-1 in his last six bouts, including a TKO loss to Stevenson in 2011.Another IBF eliminator has welterweight Ionut (Jojo) Dan, a Romania native fighting out of Montreal, in a rematch with Quebec Citys Kevin Bizier.Dan (33-2) earned a hard-fought split decision over Bizier (23-1) at the Pepsi Colisee last year, but getting a decision twice in his opponents home town wont be easy. Especially since promoter Yvon Michel has plans for Bizier when Quebec Citys new NHL-size arena opens in the new year.Im more prepared than I was for the first fight, said Dan, an intelligent, technically solid fighter, but not a knockout artist. Im in better shape, both physically and mentally.I expect it to be a great fight.The more aggressive Bizier feels he was robbed in their November, 2013 bout.What killed us in the first fight was the holding from Jojo Dan, he said. Every time I did something good he would hold me, and then he would respond with garbage punches that made him look good.Even if I landed the cleaner punches, he would score with garbage punches after holding. The holding was a huge issue and were going to make sure the referee doesnt allow it this time around.Im ready for everything. Im ready for a war. Ive been ready since the last fight. Whatever he brings to the table, I will be one step ahead. I will win. I promise you. If the knockout comes, it comes.The card also has Artur Beterbiev (6-0), an impressive Russian light heavyweight fighting out of Montreal, in a 10-rounder against American Jeff Page Jr. (15-0). Beterbiev, a two-time Olympian, beat Kovalev twice as an amateur.Ill do what I have to do to win over the U.S. fans, said Beterbiev. I know Im not that well known in the U.S., but Im going to show them my skills and give them my best.Id like to become a world champion in 2015. ' ' '