in their dressing room and hope that the play was

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. Hey Kerry, Just want to say I love the article. Its great to have your perspective! With the use today of instant replay, sometimes as fans we have the luxury of reviewing plays that the on ice official doesnt have. Im referring to missed penalty infractions, off sides and embellishments. I was wondering if referees/linesman ever go to the dressing room between periods and look at any of these replays. And if so, doesnt it make them want to make a "make up call?" Your input would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks,Jeff ReynoldsOttawa, Ontario Hey Jeff: I can assure you that NHL referees and linesmen check the television monitor in the officials dressing room between periods if there has been a call (made or potentially missed) that might require a second look to provide some measure of affirmation. You might find this hard to believe, Jeff, but every official strives to work that illusive "perfect game." They are extremely hard-working and dedicated men but as we know all too well, they are human and mistakes are made. None of this has changed through the four decades that I worked as an official for the NHL. What has changed is that before video replay and modern technology provided replays on the score clock and throughout the arena, the officials had to trust their first gut reaction and hope that the right call was made. Players and coaches always let you know instantly what they thought of your decision. Head games were sometimes played with the ref when false information was purposely provided from the players bench where an assistant coach was in communication with a "spotter" in the press box. The spotter sat near a television monitor and had access to the broadcast replay or an in-house video feed. Some teams began placing a small monitor at their bench and coaches would quickly point to it telling the official the call he made was dead wrong! The next comment to the ref was, "You owe us one!" When the period ended, the officials would inevitably rush to the monitor in their dressing room and hope that the play was shown on the intermission broadcast feed. After several times of witnessing clear evidence that the correct call had in fact been made, I began to take a very proactive approach with players or coaches that wanted to quickly provide false misinformation. In an attempt to hold them accountable to their word I would look the individual in the eye and tell him how much I respected his honesty and trusted what he said to be true. If, however, after personally watching the replay between periods I found that the player or coach was not telling me the truth, their credibility with me would be seriously damaged! I asked again if they were sure the call was wrong. Guilty parties often said they would check the replay during intermission and get back to me. I knew I had them at that point! Others were too far committed and stuck to their guns. On at least one occasion a player tried to sell me a bill of goods and wouldnt back down. The intermission replay demonstrated he had flat out lied to me and I told him as much. The players response, "You cant blame me for trying, can you?" That player learned that trust is earned and not freely gifted! The modern game is very fast and often played with an incredible intensity by phenomenally skilled athletes. If, as a spectator, you had the good fortune to sit at ice level you will understand what Im talking about. The game takes on a very different perspective the farther away you are removed from the action. Things happen very quickly on the ice and in a blink of an eye something can easily be missed. "Instant replay" isnt now just a luxury enjoyed by home viewers watching the broadcast, but plays and calls are seen on the Jumbotron that hangs over the officials head at centre ice. This instant feedback intensifies the desire and pressure for the officials to be "perfect." While it isnt part of standard operating procedure, the honest fact is that on rare occasions the score clock has allowed a member of the officiating crew to sneak a peek at a replay when a group conference is being conducted in the interest of getting the call right. So Jeff, with all the pressure on the officials to make the correct call, it only stands to reason that they would want to verify their call through a second look during the intermission break. A headset call can also be made to the video review official in the arena during a commercial stoppage to provide feedback on a play if the information the referee desires is really pressing. Regardless of the validity of a call, once its made there is no changing it. The feedback can bring about some peace of mind or closure and can even eliminate the potential for head games. If the official learns he was wrong the best course of action is to admit the error, apologize and move on as quickly as possible in his ongoing attempt to be "perfect." Custom Chicago Bears Jerseys . Weise left the arena with a splint on his wrist and underwent tests to determine whether the tendon is torn. Winger Travis Moen will also miss some time after suffering a concussion in Mondays contest. Tom Waddle Jersey . With Bernard hurt, the second-round pick has emerged.Hill ran for 152 yards during a 27-10 win at New Orleans on Sunday, his second big game. He also ran for 154 yards against Jacksonville earlier this season. http://www.officialchicagobearspro.com/Dan-hampton-bears-jersey/ . -- Jake Peavy arrived at Bostons spring training complex on Monday with a large white bandage covering his left index finger, the result of a weekend accident. William Perry Jersey . -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. Gale Sayers Jersey . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4.Alex Ovechkin’s slump, big nights for Abdelkader, Datsyuk and Smith; lineup news, fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. Held scoreless in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin has now gone a career-worst five consecutive games without a point. It’s not burying Ovechkin to point out that he’s in a slump (and I’ve already been something of an Ovechkin apologist in the past), but it’s easy to see that Ovechkin is really doing a lot well right now, even if the points haven’t been coming as expected over this short span of games. In the first nine games of the Barry Trotz era in Washington, Ovechkin has posted a career-best Corsi% (measuring even-strength shot attempts) of 59.4%. OVECHKIN POSSESSION STATS YEAR CORSI% CORSI REL% 2007-08 58.1% +4.2% 2008-09 57.4% +4.2% 2009-10 57.8% +7.2% 2010-11 53.9% +4.0% 2011-12 47.4% -2.3% 2012-13 49.2% +0.7% 2013-14 49.3% +2.5% 2014-15 59.4% +5.0% What’s encouraging about these numbers is that Ovechkin is driving play like he did earlier in his career, and a far cry from his 2011-2012 season when his offensive production hit career-low rates (65 points in 78 games). Like last season, Ovechkin is not getting much help from linemates – his lone assist this year has come on the power play – but thanks to a recent decline in shots on goal, his 4.22 shots on goal per game ranks as the second-lowest of his career. In the first four games of this dry spell, Ovechkin had mustered just seven shots on goal and that’s some reason for concern, because he’s always been a high-volume shooter, leading the league in shots on goal in eight of his nine seasons but, let’s not overreact, it was just four games. Wednesday, against Detroit, Ovechin attempted 13 shots, with seven on goal, against the Red Wings, which is a good way to get out of a scoring slump. Because Ovechkin’s underlying numbers have been so good, there’s not so much reason to worry about this slump, because those signs point to goals and points coming back at a more regular rate soon. HEROES Justin Abdelkader – Hard-hitting winger who gets to play a complementary role with some elite players in Detroit and he scored two goals and an assist in Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Washington. He scored a career-high 28 points last season, but has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in nine games this year, riding a 22.7% shooting percentage that won’t last, but he is also playing a career-high 16:30 per game and generating a career-best 2.44 shots on goal per game. Pavel Datsyuk – The Magician tallied a goal and an assist, with a team-leading eight shot attempts (4 SOG) in the win at Washington. Datsyuk has five points in four games since returning from injury, and the Red Wings have eased him in, playing 18:42 per game.ddddddddddddThe last season in which he averaged less ice time per game (than this admittedly very small sample) was 2005-2006. Craig Smith – The Predators’ leading goal-scorer, with 24, last season, Smith buried a pair of goals on nine shot attempts (5 SOG), while posting quality possession stats (17 shot attempts for, 10 against, 63.0%) in a 4-1 win at Edmonton. ZEROES Niklas Kronwall – The Red Wings’ No. 1 defenceman had a rough night, possession-wise, on for five shot attempts for and 18 against (21.7%). His worst forward matchups, head-to-head, were against Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom (2 shot attempts for, 10 against, 16.7%) and RW Joel Ward (2 for, 13 against, 13.3%). Mark Arcobello – Despite not starting an even-strength shift in the defensive zone, the Oilers’ centre had his team’s worst possession stats (9 shot attempts for, 16 against, 36.0%). SHORT SHIFTS Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg had a pair of assists…Predators D Roman Josi had two assists and blocked seven shots…Predators G Pekka Rinne stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win in Edmonton. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW Capitals RW Eric Fehr was scratched from the lineup as second-year RW Tom Wilson was inserted into the lineup for his first game of the season after suffering a broken ankle in the summer. Predators C Calle Jarnkrok, still looking for his first point of the season, was scratched from the lineup in Edmonton Wednesday. Predators D Seth Jones played a season-low 14:46 at Edmonton, though had a solid possession game (15 shot attempts for, 9 against, 62.5%) in that limited role. FIRSTS Predators C Matt Cullen played his first game of the season, picking up an assist while playing 15:18. FANTASY FOCUS A few players, available in more than half of TSN leagues, to monitor on a busy 10-game night in the NHL: Jori Lehtera – Someone in St. Louis has to get the puck to the Blues’ scoring wingers and with injuries to Paul Stastny and David Backes, Lehtera is clearly the best option down the middle. He has six points in seven games and is centering Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko heading into tonight’s matchup with Anaheim. Michael Raffl – Getting moved to the Flyers’ top line with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek is working well for Raffl, who has four goals and five points in the past five games. Tonight, the Flyers go to Tampa Bay, which isn’t an easy matchup, but Raffl is still available in nearly 99% of TSN leagues. Seth Griffith – The rookie winger has emerged as the Bruins’ best option on the right side with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, scoring three goals and five points in the past four games. Really, anyone on the Bruins is worth a look since they are in Buffalo to play the Sabres. Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca Cheap Warriors Jerseys Authentic Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Spurs Store Celtics Jerseys Online Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Wholesale Raptors Jerseys Cyber Monday Pistons Jerseys Wholesale Team USA Basketball Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Raptors Jerseys From China Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cavaliers Jerseys From China Wholesale Pistons Jerseys Bucks Jerseys From China Pacers Jerseys Outlet Authentic Hawks Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Authentic Wizards Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Timberwolves Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Thunder Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Discount Warriors Jerseys Wholesale Clippers Jerseys Wholesale Lakers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Discount Mavericks Jerseys Authentic Rockets Jerseys Discount Grizzlies Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Spurs Jerseys From China ' ' '