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. Hi Kerry, So Shawn Thornton gets a slap on the wrist for the water squirting incident - a childish, unsportsmanlike and potentially dangerous act, but players can get two minutes for spraying the goalie with snow when sometimes inadvertently just trying to stop quickly? In your opinion, should the NHL ever consider taking a more serious look at such actions and add them as an infraction in the rule book? Mike Cimba Mike: The Player Safety Committee should be commended for their swift action to impose the maximum permitted fine under the CBA ($2,820.52) against Shawn Thornton for his childish, television viewer unsightly, unsportsmanlike and potentially dangerous act of water bottle squirting at PK Subban. I am quite sure an incident of this nature will never happen again given the maximum allowable supplementary discipline and public humiliation that has been imposed against Thornton (sic sarcasm intended). Now that this bug on the visor of Subban has been wiped clean and severely dealt with, perhaps the PSC, Hockey Operations and the Officiating Department can focus their attention on more important issues that have been continually exposed to this point in the playoffs? For starters Mike, additional rules dont need to written until the ones that already exist are more consistently enforced; or even just applied. If the referee determined that Subban had been legitimately interfered with by a spray from a water bottle in Thorntons hands (Heaven forbid) the ref could have applied a broad interpretation to rule 56.2: a minor penalty shall be imposed on any identifiable player on the players bench or penalty bench who, by means of his stick or his body, interferes with the movements of the puck or any opponent on the ice during the progress of the play (Thorntons hands are attached to his body). Likewise, the same rule 75 - unsportsmanlike conduct, that is applied (sometimes) against a player deemed guilty of deliberately snow-showering a goalie could also be imposed in the case of a player deliberately squirting water in the face of his opponent. With the multitude of infractions that are being let go throughout extended portions of these games I cant imagine any referee imposing a penalty for this squirt of liquid. With regard to player safety however, it appears to be a serious and unwanted element of the game. So too was diving/embellishment once upon a time. Embellishment was deemed a plague within the game and language was added to rule 64.3 that provided authority for Hockey Operations to review game videos and assess fines to players who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury regardless if a penalty was called on the ice. The punishment for the first such offence during the season will result in a warning letter being sent to the player. The second such incident will result in a $1,000 fine. For the third such incident in the season, the player shall be suspended for one game, pending a telephone conversation with the Director of Hockey Operations. For subsequent violations in the same season, the players suspension shall double (i.e. first suspension - one game, second suspension - two games, third suspension - four games, etc.) When was the last time you read that a player had been fined for diving/embellishment let alone suspended? I have seen some known offenders embellish as many as three times in one game during these playoffs. Im not suggesting for a second that players should be suspended for the letter of the law that this rule empowers Hockey Operations. What I am suggesting is to focus on the real important issues beyond a squirt from a water bottle. Lets start with an acceptable and expected standard of enforcement from the referees throughout a playoff game that is more consistent with those employed during the regular season. The rulebook has not changed from the regular season but the application and standard of enforcement by most of the referees clearly has. Powerful stick slashes that broke a players stick was almost always called; as the playoffs progress they are seldom called and have even resulted in goals being scored. Obvious infractions have been let go; major infractions have been let go or deemed to be a minor penalty. The latest such example was the major boarding infraction by Brandon Bollig on Keith Ballard that was deemed to be a minor penalty by the referee on the ice. Bollig was subsequently and correctly suspended for two games by the Player Safety Committee for this dangerous hit that injured Ballard. As far as I am concerned they got in wrong by not responding in kind to the chicken-wing elbow delivered by Jared Spurgeon of the Wild to the head of Marcus Kruger. Kruger was pulling his upper body back and up after shooting the puck on goal. Spurgeon was going to miss his intended check and responded by leaving his skates and extending his elbow to initiate contact with the head of Kruger. Kruger staggered of the ice and went directly to be evaluated in the quiet of the Hawks dressing room. Spearing incidents and howdy-dos between the legs have on occasion resulted in the assessment of penalties. Sidney Crosby provided a pretty good howdy to Dominic Moore that went un-penalized and resulted in a scrum at the end of the second period in yesterdays Rangers 3-1 win over the Penguins. In an attempt to keep all things in perspective, it would appear that a squirt off the bench with a water bottle will result in the maximum allowable fine being levied by the Player Safety Committee. Perhaps just a letter to Thornton would have sufficed; all things being equal? Walt Frazier Jersey . Ryu (8-3) allowed a run and three hits in six innings and struck out six in his 13th start. In his first 13 starts last season -- his first in the major leagues -- the left-hander was 8-5 with a 2.85 ERA. 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Custom New York Knicks Jerseys . -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night.VANCOUVER -- Goaltender Roberto Luongo expects to return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup soon and should be back in game shape in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Luongo took part in his first workout with the team Wednesday since suffering a "lower-body" injury Dec. 22 against Winnipeg. "This is my first team practice, so Im feeling good," said Luongo after a morning skate in advance of Vancouvers game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "Everythings progressing really well right now." Luongo indicated the problem is not overly serious, but was still not healthy enough to play against Tampa Bay. Eddie Lack drew his third straight start, and fourth appearance since Luongo got hurt, while minor-league call-up Joacim Eriksson was given the backup assignment. Speaking to reporters for the first time since he was sidelined, Luongo revealed how he got hurt, but would not disclose the extent of the injury, other than to say it was a lower-body problem. "It was an Evander Kane shot down the wing that originally got me a little bit," said Luongo. "I tried to stay in the game a few more minutes and then kept feeling it during the play and felt it again on another shot." Luongo left the game late in the first period during a TV timeout after consulting with trainer Mike Bernstein. "After one of the TV timeouts, I made him aware there was a bit of an issue there, so he knew something was going on," said Luongo. "Sometimes those things subside, and sometimes they (dont). So I tried to keep playing until the next TV timeout pretty much and I went to the bench again annd spoke to Bernie.dddddddddddd" Luongo indicated he could return to Vancouvers lineup in the next few days. He added Fridays full practice with the team, as opposed to the light morning skate, will be important in determining his status. The prognosis indicates that he will be ready to play for Canadas Olympic team at Sochi in February. Meanwhile, Canucks coach John Tortorella said defenceman Dan Hamhuis should be selected to play for Canada in Sochi. Hamhuis, who attended Canadas summer orientation camp, has been one of Vancouvers best defenders this season. He logged 32:30 of ice time, while recording two assists, in a loss to Philadelphia on Monday. "(Playing in the Olympics) would be an awesome opportunity," said Hamhuis, a 31-year-old, Smithers, B.C., native. "Ive had the opportunity (to play for Canada), I think, seven times now. It never gets old. So Id love for an opportunity to do it at the Olympic level." Hamhuis has represented Canada in the junior and senior world championships, but a longed-for chance to play in the Olympics has eluded him. "Its always a great experience playing for Hockey Canada, and to do it at an Olympic level would just be that much better," he said. "To play with and against the best players in the world is every kids dream, and something I was hoping to do in 2010, but missed my opportunity. The team was very successful, and I would love to be a part of it this year." Note: Tortorella said Luongo and injured defencemen Alex Edler (undisclosed) and Andrew Alberts (upper-body), and winger Alex Burrows (jaw) are listed as day to day. 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