News » 10.?My favourite day of Test cricket - Chetan Ch

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, love the column. My question concerns the penalty shot by Michael Frolik in Game 6 in Detroit. With the refs letting so many calls go in the playoffs, was this really a penalty shot situation? Sure, Frolik had a step on Carlo Colaiacovo and yes he tapped him on the glove with his stick, but was this truly a clear-cut breakaway and an infraction which caused him to lose control of the puck? A slashing penalty? Sure, but a penalty shot seemed a little excessive to me. What are your thoughts? Thanks,Bruce Kahanyshyn Bruce: I appreciate the confusion you feel on how a penalty shot could be awarded to Michael Frolik given certain inconsistencies of refs calls that have occurred in the playoffs. The fact of the matter is that on this play the Referee absolutely made the correct call when he pointed to center ice and awarded the penalty shot. Ill explain why but also expose a glaring inconsistency that resulted on a similar call in Game 4 of this same series between the Hawks and Red Wings when just a minor penalty was assessed. Rule 24.8 and 57.3 reference conditions under which a penalty shot is to be assessed. The intention of this rule is to restore a reasonable scoring opportunity which has been lost. When a player, in the neutral zone or attacking zone, in control of the puck (or who could have obtained possession and control of the puck) and having no other player to pass than the goalkeeper, is tripped or otherwise fouled from behind, thus preventing a reasonable scoring opportunity, a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team. Bruce, it is very important that you understand the four specific conditions that must be met in order for the Referee to award a penalty shot for a player being fouled from behind. They are: i) The infraction must have taken place in the neutral zone or attacking zone (i.e. over the puck carriers own blue line); ii) The infraction must have been committed from behind; iii) The player in possession and control (or, in the judgment of the Referee, clearly would have obtained possession and control of the puck) must have been denied a reasonable chance to score (the fact that he got a shot off does not automatically eliminate this play from the penalty shot consideration criteria. If the foul was from behind and he was denied a "more" reasonable scoring opportunity due to the foul, then the penalty shot should be awarded); iv) The player in possession and control (or, in the judgment of the Referee, clearly would have obtained possession and control of the puck) must have had no opposing player between himself and the goalkeeper. All of these conditions applied when Carlo Colaiacovo slashed at the hands of Michael Frolik. While the slash might not have appeared to be powerful or forceful, Colaiacovo none the less drew his two hands together and the resulting slash from behind caused a loss of puck possession and therefore a loss of a more than reasonable scoring opportunity. The Referee made the correct assessment on this play. Now I will attempt to address your legitimate confusion, Bruce. In Game 4 with 4:45 remaining in regulation time and Detroit leading by a score of 1-0, Brandon Saad was in all alone on Jimmy Howard. Saad attempted a move with the puck from close in when Jakub Kindl reached from well behind with his stick and fork-hooked the hands of the Chicago attacker. The foul from behind caused Saad to lose possession of the puck and a reasonable scoring opportunity was denied. While this play was another textbook example of a penalty shot, the Referee instead chose to assess a minor penalty to Kindl for hooking. The call prompted my good friend Kelly Hrudey to comment, "Dont look to center — thats not going to be a penalty shot at that point" (in the game). While Kellys analysis was predictably accurate (at least in this case) the Referees must eliminate any reluctance to assess a penalty shot when the four conditions have been met, regardless of the score or the time in the game. When a reasonable scoring opportunity has been denied it must be restored as the rule suggests. It is not acceptable for a Referee to take the easy way out by calling a minor penalty when an obvious foul from behind has been committed against a player on a breakaway. Its not a tough call to make; its the right call! On February 11, 1982 I called two penalty shots against the Detroit Red Wings in that very same Joe Louis Arena. The Vancouver Canucks, coached by Harry Neale were down 4-2 to Wayne Maxners Wings midway through the third period. Detroit defenceman Jim Schoenfeld grabbed the puck with his hand in the crease. Thomas Gradin scored to make it 4-3 on the penalty shot. With just over 30 seconds to play in regulation and the Canucks net empty, Stan Smyl picked up a loose puck at the Vancouver blue line and raced in on a breakaway. Detroit defenceman Reed Larson chased Stanley Steamer from behind and chopped the Canuck down just as he was about to release a shot on Gilles Gilbert. With 30 seconds on the clock and the Wings up by one goal I once again point to center ice and signaled a penalty shot. Smyl was injured as a result of the chop so Neale selected Ivan Hlinka to take the shot. Neale told me later his instructions to Hlinka were very clear: "If you dont score on this penalty shot, just keep skating right out the end of the rink, all the way back to Czechoslovakia!" Needless to say Hlinka scored, the game ended in a tie (no overtime back then) and the beer cups rained down on me! (Excerpted from The Final Call) While calling a minor penalty would have been the "easier" path for me to take it would not have been the right one! Cheap New York Rangers Jerseys . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. NHL Jerseys China . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. http://www.jerseyscheapnhl.com/ . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Wholesale NHL Jerseys .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. ESPN remembers the past through the course of Indias 500th Test.1.?Five hundred shades of Test cricketThe best way to celebrate a milestone would be by showing we care.2.?Indias 20 best Test wins - Part 1Indias first win came in their 20th year as a Test side in 1952 and over the next two decades they ticked a few more boxes to give a glimpse of what more was to come from them.3.?Indian cricket: A list of firstsRecalling some memorable Indian firsts: the 1932 Test, Lala Amarnaths 1933 century, Virender Sehwags first triple-ton, beating England in 1952 and the Kiwis in 1968, and being No.1 in 1971.?4.?My favourite day of Test cricket - Nari ContractorNari Contractor remembers a knock played on a tricky Kanpur wicket because it helped India beat Australia - and also for the baffling manner in which Neil Harvey caught him.5.?Indias 20 best Test wins - Part 2Featuring Indias first Test win at Lords and a Melbourne heist that no one saw coming.6.?My favourite day of Test cricket - G ViswanathGundappa Viswanath talks about running between the wickets with Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and his unbeaten 97 on a spicy Madras pitch.7.?500* - Indias Tests in numbersA blow by blow account of Indias 500 Tests in numbers.8.?Indias 20 best Test wins - Part 3In the early years of the new century, India achieved two famous wins over Australia, got the better of England in Headingley and finally managed to win a Test in Pakistan.9.?Meet Indias most frequent Test watcherFormer Mumbaai Ranji Trophy player Vasu Paranjape may have not had the opportunity of playing for his country but he has followed cricket more intimately than most - from 1948-49.dddddddddddd10.?My favourite day of Test cricket - Chetan ChauhanChetan Chauhan remembers what happened after Sunil Gavaskar was given out off Dennis Lillee in the 1981 Melbourne Test.11.?Indias 20 best Test wins - Part 4A look at four of Indias best wins abroad in the first decade of the 21st century.?12. My favourite day of Test cricket - Javagal SrinathJavagal Srinath remembers the performance that helped India win abroad for the first time in seven years.13. Give Tests a chance: A letter to my generationThe cricketing world is divided between those that love Tests, and those that could if they were given the chance.14.?Indias 20 best Test wins - Part 5Between 2008 and 2010, VVS Laxman played the starring role in three of Indias four significant Test wins.15.?Kanpur - the inconvenience is not regrettedKanpur doesnt come to mind when people think of cricket, and rightly so. The citys charms lie elsewhere - in cuss words, one-liners and providing occasional inspiration for Bollywood.16.?My favourite day of Test cricket - Zaheer KhanZaheer Khan on day four of the 2007 Trent Bridge Test, where he got into a good rhythm and put India on the path to a notable victory. ' ' '