Allgemein » Clarkson suspension and other injuries to a slew of pla

To figure out two things NHL general managers will be discussing at their annual March meeting, look no further than the controversial game the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings played in mid-January. First, the Red Wings scored the tying goal after officials missed the puck hitting the protective netting, then the Kings wound up losing in a shootout. That could affect playoff positioning in the Eastern and Western Conferences, and thats a concern for everyone. No different than many fans, GMs hate to see a game end on an incorrect call and generally dont like to see one end in a shootout. So its only natural that altering or extending overtime and expanding video review will be hot topics on the agenda for meetings Monday through Wednesday in Boca Raton, Fla. When it comes to overtime, the hope is to have fewer games even reach the shootout, which was instituted after the 2004-05 lockout as a way of eliminating ties. Since then, 13.3 per cent of all regular-season games have gone to one, and thats seen as too much. "I would prefer for our game to be decided by playing hockey instead of the skill part of the game, which is the shootout," Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars said. "Its really tough. You can play a great game, play a great overtime and then you go to a shootout and just because you lose a shootout it feels like youve lost the game -- and you have, and it hurts because you played such a good game. I would rather lose a game by playing the game." Through Saturday, 121 of 962 games this season have gone to a shootout (12.57 per cent). Each team has participated in at least four, while the Washington Capitals lead the league with 15 of them through 64 games. A handful of general managers said in recent weeks that there was an appetite to reduce the number of shootouts by making some changes to overtime. Detroit GM Ken Holland has long sought adding time or a three-on-three element to overtime, and it has come time that Don Maloney of the Phoenix Coyotes figures more members of the group are "open-minded to reviewing it and discussing it." "In the past, it was generally touched on but deferred," Maloney said. "And I think as you go on with the parity of the league, I think we all have to take a harder look." Jim Rutherford of the Carolina Hurricanes usually sits near Holland at these meetings and is in favour of his proposals to change overtime. After plenty of talk over the years, perhaps more will get on board. "I think were heading that way," Rutherford said. "Its been talked about a long time, this is not something new. I dont know how many minutes itll end up being -- the total minutes in overtime. Thats really where the big discussion will come. But I think the fact that this has been discussed for a few years now, I think its gaining some momentum going into this meeting." What that momentum will turn into remains to be seen. Rutherford and Holland would like five minutes of the already-established four-on-four followed by five minutes of three-on-three, while Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues voiced support for simply making four-on-four overtime longer. But, as Doug Wilson of the San Jose Sharks knows, change in the NHL tends to go in "phases." So its possible that the first change to overtime is a very subtle one: teams changing ends like they do in the second period so that theres a longer way to go for players to get off the ice for line changes. "I would be a hundred per cent in support," Maloney said. "If you look at the second period and the (long) line changes how often mistakes are made, and bad line changes lead to rushes. All of a sudden you do that in overtime with four people and the tiredness of the game, I think thats a natural evolution, myself. I think thats the first step." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock brought that up in Sochi after seeing overtime in the womens gold-medal game between Canada and the United States. Mistakes led to three penalties and then a power-play goal 8:10 into overtime. "The NHL looks at that right there, we want overtime to be over in a hurry, all you do is flip ends, make it as hard as you can," Babcock said while at the Olympics. "Its harder on the long change." Another subject that will get plenty of discussion is video review, which is currently limited to the situation room in Toronto determining if a goal was good or not. Even though it was just one instance, that Jan. 18 game between the Red Wings and Kings is example A for expanding review. "You can count on one hand how many times they miss a puck hitting the net, but that specific case and it ended up as a goal, yeah, it probably shouldve been (reviewed) -- maybe if the video department had that authority, it wouldve been used," Maloney said. "And I think we all agree that in that case that was just wrong, and we need to correct that." Several general managers cautioned that too much replay can be a bad thing. Just as its being debated in baseball and football, the biggest pitfall to more video reviews is the time they can take. "Our game is part of momentum and keeping the game going," Rutherford said. "But at the same time, the league has always said that they want to get goals right. We saw an example (in Detroit) where it had nothing to do with the guidelines of how the league proceeds, but we didnt get one right. "So thats something that well discuss, Im sure. But theres a fine line there: How many times can you review things in a game without slowing it down to change the time of a game another 15 minutes." In that same vein, Nill would like to see "tweaks" to video review in important cases but doesnt want the NHL to become a "robotic" game with frequent calls to the situation room. Still, theres a ground swell to at least add replay in isolated cases, like on plays goals are scored on. That may not mean instituting a challenge system for coaches right away but perhaps something more simple. "It would be nice to just have a monitor in the penalty box for the official to gather as much information to make the right call because theyre closest to the action like they have in other leagues," Wilson said, pointing to the model used in the NFL and NBA. Some things, like goaltender interference, would require a stricter interpretation to be subject to video review. Penalties, like players putting the puck over the glass or getting a double-minor called for high-sticking, would fall into another category to be considered. "I think everything thats critical to the outcome of the game, if its conveniently available, we should review," Columbus GM Jarkko Kekalainen said. "Not to disturb the flow of the game and the time of each game as a whole -- we dont want games to last four hours or anything like that. But with the technology these days I think that there should be some kind of a system where all the critical plays can be reviewed so that we dont see the (wrong) outcomes." With three days of meetings scheduled on Floridas east coast, general managers are expected to delve into a host of other topics, including the regulation -- or elimination -- of goaltender fights and the impact of the falling Canadian dollar on next years salary cap. At Decembers board of governors meeting, the 2014-15 cap was estimated at just above US$71 million, rising from the $64.3 million ceiling for this season. Kings GM Dean Lombardi told the Los Angeles Times that he and his colleagues were advised it could be as low as $US68 million as the Canadian dollar continues to fall. As of Saturday, the loonie was worth roughly 90 cents U.S., after being above 95 cents midway through 2013. Goalie fighting is expected to at least be touched on after it was broached at Novembers meeting in Toronto that followed the infamous incident between Ray Emery of the Philadelphia Flyers and Braden Holtby of the Capitals. Rutherford and Maloney indicated they believed the issue was a bit overblown at the time. "Really theyre so rare, arent they? That was an isolated (incident)," Maloney said. "If we start to see goalie fights every other game, yeah, OK, maybe theres a problem. I dont see it being a problem. That was a one-time incident that nobody liked, but I think our officials and the people that review the games, they do a pretty good job of cleaning up anything thats outside the rules. So I dont see a real mandate to start over-regulating the game in that area." Joe Morgan Jersey . In the last race before the Sochi Olympics, Bjoergen followed up her win in the 10-kilometre classical race on Saturday by beating World Cup sprint leader Denise Herrmann of Germany by 0.43 seconds for her fifth victory of the season. Ryan Pressly Jersey . -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice tweeted an apparent goodbye after a report about his pending release. https://www.cheapastros.com/183o-francis-martes-jersey-astros.html . – Team Canadas Brooke Henderson carded a 4-under 67 at Craigowan Golf and Country Club to jump into the lead at the Canadian Womens Amateur Championship on Wednesday. Bob Watson Jersey . Five years ago, Nestor and Zimonjic beat the American twins to win the title. But the Bryans, the worlds top-ranked team, needed 74 minutes to earn the victory Saturday as both Nestor and Zimonjic lost serve in the second set. Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey .Y. -- First, Ryan Miller.TORONTO – Their best chance to survive the lingering and uncertain absence of two of their most trusted centres wont rest on any one player. Instead, coming off their worst outing of the season, the Leafs will have to rise as a collective unit to withstand this latest bout of adversity. "It puts a strain on everybody else and it puts a strain on the other guys to make up some of the minutes that those two play and it gives another opportunity for other people to play higher in your lineup," said head coach Randy Carlyle, a day after the team returned from a week-long western Canadian road trip, shut out by the Canucks on Saturday night. Carlyle couldnt say for certain when either of his top two centres would be available to return from injury. Dave Bolland had successful surgery in Vancouver over the weekend and was due to fly back to Toronto on Monday. The 27-year-old suffered a lacerated tendon against the Canucks on Saturday, his left ankle sliced in scary fashion by the left skate of Zack Kassian. "Its too early to say," said Carlyle of a timeframe for Bolland, who had six goals and 10 points in his first 15 games as a Leaf. "They can say that its five months and then we hope its two. We dont really know until the healing process starts and they do an assessment and then well get more tightened in on the timeframe for you." Neither could he say with any certainty when Tyler Bozak would return. Leading Toronto forwards in ice-time this season (21 minutes per game), the 27-year-old has been out the past four games with a hamstring injury. The earliest he can return from long-term IR is Nov. 21. "Hes still a ways away," said Carlyle, adding that Bozak had not been working out nor riding the bike. The injured duo cant be replaced. Outside of Jay McClement, no two forwards are relied on by Carlyle in more situations than Bolland and Bozak (power play, penalty kill, opposing top lines). But in their absence, the Leafs must plug holes and move forward collectively. And they can start with 24-year-old James van Riemsdyk. For the first time since college, van Riemsdyk may just line up at centre (Leaf management is surely scouring for additional options), slotting in at Mondays practice alongside Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. "Hes played there before so it doesnt take rocket science to go in that direction," Carlyle said. A winger growing up and right on through the ranks of the U.S. National Development Program, van Riemsdyk last played centre for two seasons at the University of New Hampshire in 2009. He made that move oddly enough because Trevor Smith – having just completed his second season with the Wildcats and now a teammate in Toronto – decided to leave college hockey and take a shot at the pros. Already averaging upwards of 20 minutes nightly – a regular contributor on both special teams units – van Riemsdyk will be asked to continue his already impressive production at a position hes unfamiliar with in the NHL; he moved back to his natural wing position upon landing with the Flyers. "Its completely different – well not completely different, but there is a lot of differences," said van Riemsdyk of the adjustment, noting the need for additional work on the draw. "Its more a timing thing. Youve got to be used to the feel of it – its just a different feel. Whereas a wing, you play more in straight lines, you get to certain areas and youre going to be fine. Centre, its a lot more reading and reacting to different situations on the ice; reacting to how theyre forechecking and different things like that so you have to know how to rread the different plays a little bit more.ddddddddddddquot; The Leafs briefly considered moving van Riemsdyk to centre prior to last season – he watched some video – but were never pressed into a situation where they had to try it. Increased contributions and opportunity also lie elsewhere. Lining up in the two-hole behind van Riemsdyk in all likelihood, the Leafs will also count on getting more from Nazem Kadri, who slid onto a line with David Clarkson and Mason Raymond at Mondays practice. The 23-year-old does have 13 points already this year, but is likely to see more challenging matchups on a consistent basis (he matched up with Evgeni Malkin successfully last week) with Bolland and Bozak both out. McClement is already logging huge minutes (nearly 17 per game, second highest of his NHL career), but he too, will be asked to do more in the absence of Bolland and Bozak, specifically in the face-off circle. The injured centres have combined to take 65 per cent of team face-offs this season. McClement has already seen his duties rise in this regard with Bozak out since Oct. 26; the 30-year-old took 28 face-offs against Vancouver, 28 against Calgary and 21 against Edmonton. An opportunity additionally lies in wait for Clarkson, who returned from a 10-game suspension on Oct. 25, totaling just a single assist in his first five games. All but absent from the power play so far – he didnt see a second in games against the Oilers and Flames – the 29-year-old should see increased opportunity on the man advantage, a position he held comfortably with the Devils (14 power play goals the past two seasons). A second line contributor for much of the past two seasons, Lupul too, should see his ice-time rise, riding on the top unit for the first time since 2011-2012, when he totaled 25 goals and 67 points in 66 games. Predictably, Carlyle expects more from the group as a whole. Despite boasting a sturdy 10-5-0 record (tied for first in the division), the Leafs have yet to appear at their best consistently this season; yielding nearly 37 shots against per night – second worst in the league – while totaling the most minor penalties to date. Only the superb play of their two goaltenders – James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier both rank amongst the league leaders in save percentage – terrific special teams and incredibly accurate shooting has kept the group afloat and swimming with some success (adversity tested previously due to the Clarkson suspension and other injuries to a slew of players). As Carlyle noted, "Injuries are a part of the life of an NHL hockey club. Were living our fair share of them and its just the next one along the way." No excuses can and will be made, especially in light of what the plucky Ottawa Senators accomplished last season. Led by head coach Paul MacLean, the eventual Jack Adams winner, Ottawa survived the absence of its top defender (Erik Karlsson), top centre (Jason Spezza) and top goaltender (Craig Anderson) and still managed to make the playoffs. And so, when asked how his team could help van Riemsdyk adjust to the centre ice position, Carlyle pointed not to an individual, but to the team at large and the coaching staff additionally. "Thats what really were trying to focus on is, were really not giving ourselves the best chance [to win]," he said. "Some of the things that we have been doing have crept into our game and theyve become more the norm than abnormal. And thats our job as a coaching staff to eliminate those things." "Whatever we need me to do to help the team win games, Im fine with," van Riemsdyk said. ' ' '