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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, Undoubtedly you will receive a lot of emails regarding this game. I have a question regarding the position of the linesman on the missed offside call that led to the Avs tying the game late in the third period against the Wild on Friday. Why is the linesman positioned outside the blue line? Shouldnt he be inside the line so that his body or skates arent inadvertently the cause of an offside for the attacking team? If he were in position inside the line, he surely wouldnt have to lean away from the line as he does in the photograph all over the media. I would like to know your thoughts. Thanks. DJ Waldron DJ, I want to establish first and foremost that Pierre Racicot is universally accepted as one of the top linesman in the NHL. Racicots high level of skill and competency has been recognized with seven consecutive selections to work the Stanley Cup Final. I worked many games with Pierre and can tell you firsthand that he has earned much deserved respect from players and coaches throughout the League. No matter how good a player or official is, mistakes are sometimes made. The great officials minimize their mistakes and Racicot clearly falls into that category. This is one of the very few times that this linesman got the call wrong. Let me explain why that happened. As you point out DJ, linesman Racicots initial decision to set up outside the blue line created an obstructed view of the inside edge of the line once Nathan MacKinnon carried the puck a mere couple of feet in front of the linesman. From this less than perfect position, and with Paul Stastny in full stride and about to cross the line to the right of MacKinnon, Racicot made the quick, but unfortunate, decision to alter his upper body posture away from the line. This move, made in a millisecond of time, was initiated by the linesman in an effort to gain an angle that might allow him to see both the puck and Stastny crossing the inside edge of the blue line. What this new angle created for the linesman, however, was a sightline toward the middle of the ice that became obstructed by the body of MacKinnon. Offside resulted in the blink of an eye as Stastnys lead skate (and with his back skate in the air not in contact with the line or outside the attacking zone) crossed inches ahead of the puck and resulted in a rare missed call by Racicot. I had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented linesmen during the course of my career; Pierre Racicot included. As I was writing this column I spoke with HHOF member and former colleague Ray Scapinello to provide us with some technical insight on a play of this nature. Scamp said that he learned from fellow Hall-of-Fame members John DAmico and Matt Pavelich that, as a rule of thumb, it was imperative for the linesman to be set inside the blue line prior to players and the puck crossing the line. Im sure it might have happened through unavoidable circumstance but I cant ever remember Scapinello making a decision on an off-side from the neutral zone. On the contrary, I have vivid memories of Scamp positioned inside the zone, down on one knee and looking along the inside edge of the blue line to render his accurate decision on a close call. Once the play was deemed on-side, the little fellow jumped up and quickly moved his skates outside the blue line to avoid being hit with the puck and preventing it from exiting the zone. Ray stressed the importance of the linesmen seeing the attack develop, moving quickly to set up inside the blue line and waiting to make the call as the puck and players cross the line. Scamp said this, especially with the red line no longer in play for the off-side pass rule and the linesmen must be dialed in for potential stretch passes. When set up inside the blue line, Ray said it didnt matter if all five attacking players crossed the line at the same time because his view would not be obstructed. The rare missed offside call by Racicot was an anomaly for this highly skilled professional linesman. He will learn from this experience and gain an unobstructed sightline from a position inside the blue line whenever possible. If, in the future, there is a need to alter his upper body posture/sightline along the line, my guess is Pierre will lean toward the inside edge instead of away from it. This play not only demonstrates the speed of the game but also that human error can and will occur, no matter good the player or official is. This play aside, the NHL Officiating Department could certainly use Hockey Hall of Fame legendary linesman Ray Scapinello to lead and coach the current crop of NHL linesmen, no matter how proficient they might be. Scamp learned from the very best in his day; the present group of linesman should be afforded the same privilege. Vans Shoes Cheap Online .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. Cheap Authentic Vans Shoes . Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered. http://www.cheapvanssale.com/ . 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Williams had 19 points, including a couple of jumpers in Brooklyns game-clinching run, and Brooklyn beat the Utah Jazz 105-99 Wednesday night for the Nets first win in Utah since 2008. "Maybe in a couple of years I will get all cheers here, you never know," said a laughing Williams, who was once regarded as the future of the Jazz. He drew a few boos as he turned villain when his fourth-quarter jump shots quelled the Utahs last-ditch comeback attempts. Williams had plenty of help with big games from Joe Johnson, who scored 27 points, and Andray Blatche, who tied a season-high with 25. "They were huge. The way Joe played tonight was great. He and Dray pulled us back in the game when we were down. They are a big reason we got the win tonight," Williams said. Johnson made 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and 10 of 16 overall, while handing out six assists. "The break was good for me," said Johnson, who hadnt scored more than 16 points since Jan. 20 against the New York Knicks. "Its feeling a lot better. I dont have the pain I had when I bend down to go into my shot or make a move." Williams caught an elbow from Alec Burks in a scramble for a loose ball with 3:28 to play and stayed on the court for more than a minute before getting his bearing during a timeout. "I thought I broke my jaw. It hurts," Williams said before adding how good the win feels. His 3-pointer with 2:11 remaining gave the Nets their largest lead of the game. It was a memorable night for Williams, who struggled in his first two post-trade games in Salt Lake City. Brooklyn snapped a three-game road losing skid and the surging Nets have won five of their last seven contests. Burks led the Jazz with 23 points and Enes Kanter, starting in place of Derrick Favours (hip), had 18 points and 10 rebounds, but the Jazz wasted a 13-point third-quarter lead and a chance to extend their winning streak to a season-best four games. The Nets completed their first season sweep of Utah since 2006-07, but it may prove costly just two games into their seven-stop road trip. Paul&nbbsp;Pierce, who had seven points in 27 minutes and didnt play in crunch time, was limping after the first sequence of the second half and called a time out so he could leave the court.dddddddddddd "I have arthritis and turf toe but itll be all right," Pierce said. The Nets acquired guard Marcus Thornton from the Sacramento Kings for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans on Wednesday, but Thornton hadnt joined the team by game time so the team was short-handed. "This is the toughest time of the year because its always possible to lose a family member. Were around each other more than we are our families. So to lose a brother, it hurts, man. I hate to see Jason and Reggie go," Johnson said. But just when the Nets looked buried, they found a spark and they rallied together. The Jazz led 68-55 after Gordon Hayward and Richard Jefferson made back-to-back 3-pointers. Johnson had seven points in a 20-4 run that culminated in Blatches jumper that gave the Nets a 75-72 lead just before the end of the third quarter. "The big thing is we were giving up a lot of 3s . that was something we talked about taking away. The guys responded and did that," said Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd, whose team forced the Jazz to miss their final seven attempts from beyond the arc. In the final period, the Jazz battled back within 89-88, but Williams started the game-deciding run with a jumper and capped it with his big 3-pointer and the Jazz couldnt get within four points the rest of the way. "They went on that run and we never really recovered. Its a learning process for us," said Trey Burke, who had 14 points and 10 assists. Favours has been bothered by a sprained right hip he hurt against Detroit on Jan. 17. Though the Jazz outrebounded the Nets 46-33 without Favours, the Nets shots 50 per cent and outscored Utah in the paint 48-40. Utah dropped to 0-6 without Favours and just 1-22 when Kanter starts. NOTES: The Jazz made their first 15 free throws. . The Nets had dropped the last four meetings in Utah by an average of 16.3 points. . Andrei Kirilenko, who played his first 10 seasons in Utah, received warm applause when he checked in. . Jeremy Evans had a career-high 13 rebounds for Utah in just 20 minutes of play. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '