f seasons just securing a spot in the post-season will be a challeng

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. Four rivalry matchups will kick start the 2014-15 NHL regular season schedule tonight as all 30 teams firmly set their gaze on a Stanley Cup-winning season. In a league that has enjoyed considerable parity over the past number of seasons just securing a spot in the post-season will be a challenge for several teams. Points are hard to come by and shootout wins can sometimes be the difference between a team going on in mid-April or just simply going home! While the leagues competition committee has tinkered with the playing rules to make some minor changes - primarily in an effort to generate more offence a€“ heres my perspective on adjustment of the shootout process and increase the odds of determining a winner in the overtime period. Im thrilled with the elimination of the spin-o-rama move from the shootout process. The circus atmosphere reserved for the All-Star Games skills competition had no rightful place in determining the eventual winning team in the regular season. A clear unfair advantage was granted to the shooter over the goalkeeper. The move, which I first saw introduced by Bobby Orr and later perfected by Denis Savard at high speed, is without question a skilled move. The difference here, however, is that these gents performed the move in close quarters with the possibility of being checked by an opponent; none of which exists during a penalty shot or shootout. The longstanding rule whereby the puck must be kept in forward motion toward the goal line often appeared to be violated without consequence. To the naked eye, the puck stopped or even travelled in a backward direction through the spin move or the hard stop and go that some players utilized. Expanded video review capabilities under Rule 38 will allow a broader discretion to Hockey Operations to determine the legitimacy of all potential goals and can include forward motion of the puck toward the goal line during a penalty shot or shootout. The process should now provide more acceptable legal parameters for the shooter to operate under, pitted against the ability of the goalkeeper to defend. A change to Rule 84 just might determine the outcome of a tied game before even entering the shootout session. Teams will now switch ends prior to the start of overtime in the regular season following a dry scrape of the ice surface. Fresh ice will surely help to enhance the four-on-four level of play. More importantly, however, is the statistic that more goals are scored in the second period due to the longer change from the players bench. I see these as positive changes in determining a winner. To finish off todays feature, congratulations to veteran linesman Jean Morin for his return to action after missing all of last season due to a serious back injury and surgery. Jean is a top notch linesman and the game is certainly better with his return. Cmon Ref looks forward to answering your questions beginning Thursday. Let the games begin! swell Bouteille Isotherme . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Bouteille SWell Marbre . Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball, Eduardo Escobar homered, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away late to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Saturday. http://www.swellbouteille.fr/. - Young and old. swell France . The Canadian tennis players first full season on the WTA Tour was a strong one. She has risen to No. 32 in the world rankings and will likely be seeded at the first Grand Slam event of the 2014 season. Bouteille S well Bois . Those cheers seemed more special this time because the captains run on Broadway could soon be over. The adoration surely sounded much nicer to Callahan than all the recent trade talk.BUFFALO, N.Y. - Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons is skating away with the NHL All-Star game fan vote.As of Tuesday, the second-year player has a league-leading 803,805 votes — double what he had a week ago. And Girgensons total is more than the combined number of votes cast for the next two forwards: Chicago stars Patrick Kane (375,758) and Jonathan Toews (367,692).Girgensons credits his popularity to his Latvian fans back home. He leads Buffalo with eiight goals but has only 14 points, well behind the NHL-leading 35 points shared by Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby and Dallas Tyler Seguin.ddddddddddddThe only limit on voting is fans can use the same device no more than 10 times a day.Other top vote-getters per position are defencemen Duncan Keith of Chicago and Montreals P.K. Subban, and Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.Voting ends Jan. 1.The All-Star game will be played at Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 25. ' ' '