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. On Sunday, Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist scored what could very well be the goal of the year. As he broke in on the net he was clearly held and the ref had his arm up to call a penalty, or penalty shot, but allowed Nyquist to continue on his breakaway first. If a second infraction was committed on Nyquist, a trip or a slash for example, before he scored the goal, would both calls be wiped out or would the Red Wings be awarded the goal and a power play. Thanks for taking the time to read my question. Matt NimmoBrampton CLICK HERE to watch the play in question. Matt: After being fouled by Matt Carle on a breakaway, Gustav Nyquist demonstrated amazing patience, persistence and the hands of a surgeon in order to regain puck possession with both skates well below the goal line and then slide the disk into the net past Ben Bishop from what appeared to be an impossible angle. Not many players, past or present, possess the skill and instinct required to spin and thread the needle at full speed to score a goal from that location on the ice. Your question, Matt, has several variables for us to consider. The assessment of a penalty shot is designed to restore a scoring opportunity which was lost as a result of a foul being committed by the offending team. On the initial part of this play all parameters of the rule were satisfied for referee Wes McCauley to impose a penalty shot once Gustav Nyquist was clearly fouled from behind by Matt Carle and denied a reasonable scoring opportunity. I am certain that McCauley intended to award a penalty shot to Nyquist had he not scored or other criteria were to develop during the delayed call. As Wes McCauley demonstrated, the referee must delay the call until the offending team gains possession of the puck. If during this delay, Gustav Nyquist or any other Red Wing player had regained a reasonable scoring opportunity (or opportunities) yet no goal resulted, the initial penalty shot call would revert to the assessment of a minor penalty. The next to impossible shot by Nyquist would not have qualified as him regaining a "reasonable scoring opportunity." A penalty shot would have been awarded if the puck had not gone in the net as specified in rule 24.8 (iii)—The fact that he (Nyquist) 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. Allow me to answer your direct question, Matt, and also play out some other scenarios that could result, with the understanding that if the foul for which the penalty shot was awarded was such as to normally incur a minor penalty, then regardless of whether the penalty shot results in a goal or not, no further penalty shall be served. (Major, Match and Misconduct penalties would be assessed in addition to the penalty shot.) In addition, no penalty being served on the clock will expire when a goal is scored on a penalty shot. • If the penalty shot infraction committed by Matt Carle was such to incur a double-minor penalty (i.e. high-stick resulting in injury), the first minor penalty would not be assessed since the penalty shot was awarded to restore the lost scoring opportunity. The second minor penalty would be assessed and served regardless of whether the penalty shot results in a goal. It would be announced as a double-minor penalty and the player would serve two minutes only. (This would also be the assessment in the case where Nyquist (or Wings) scored prior to play being stopped to award the penalty shot resulting from a double minor infraction.) • If a Tampa player (or bench) was assessed an additional minor penalty on this play (separate from the hooking minor infraction to Carle that resulted in the penalty shot), the Tampa minor penalty would be served on the clock regardless of whether the penalty shot results in a goal. • Although it is not currently in the Officials Situation Handbook, conventional wisdom states (until further advised), if both of the above situations were to be satisfied (double minor plus a second minor penalty) one minor of the double minor infraction is eliminated to restore the lost scoring opportunity and the stand alone minor infraction is also assessed and served. A 5 on 3 manpower situation would occur regardless of whether the penalty shot results in a goal. (Presently no "Captains choice" extended in this scenario to allow for team option to play one man short for 4 minutes or two men short for 2 minutes). • Should two penalty shots be awarded to the same team at the same stoppage of play (two separate fouls), only one goal can be scored or awarded at a single stoppage of play. Should the first penalty shot result in a goal, the second shot would not be taken but the appropriate penalty would be assessed and served for the infraction committed. Thanks for the thought provoking question, Matt. I trust the answer pretty much covers all the bases for you. Cmon Ref extends Happy Birthday Wishes to Gordie Howe, who is 86 years young today. My bet is that "Mr. Hockey" would have also been able to score from the angle that Gustav Nyquist did last night in Hockeytown, USA. Roberto Alomar Jersey . 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Roberto Osuna Jersey . -- Mixed martial arts fighter Cristiane Justino Santos has been suspended and fined for testing positive for steroids.NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils are so bad in shootouts, coach Pete DeBoer doesnt mind seeing his team take chances in the five-minute overtime. It got them a much-needed win Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild after they blew a two-goal, third-period lead. Defenceman Andy Greene scored from in close 2 minutes into the extra period and the Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Wild in Zach Parises first game back in New Jersey against his former teammates. "Weve asked our D all year to create offence for us," said DeBoer, whose team has lost all eight shootouts this season and an NHL-record 12 straight dating to last season. "I think we have a little more urgency in overtime as a group because of our shootout record. There isnt any secret about that, so you get a little more aggressive." Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias each had three assists and combined to set up Greene. Elias carried the puck from his own zone into the Wild end and sent a pass through the crease that Henrique nudged toward goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. Greene got the rebound and scored his second game-winner in overtime this season. Greene took a chance on the play. "I actually kick it out of the corner to start the rush and I thought about changing, but then I kind of saw we had a three-on-two," Greene said. "I supported it and the puck obviously squirted through their back door and I got some good lumber on it and put it home." Greene didnt care that the win wasnt pretty. "It doesnt matter at this point," he said. "As long as we get ourselves a chance to get two points in a game, who cares how it happens? Two points is two points." Despite the win, the Devils are five points out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 games left in the regular season. "I liked how we played tonight," DeBoer said. "As long as we can stay fresh and energized and bring that game, theres no reason we cant keep winning." Michael Ryder, Mark Fayne and Jaromir Jagr also scored for New Jersey, which played with a lot more energy with their playoff hopes fading in the wake of the losing streak. Parise, Mikael Granlund and Matt CCooke tallied for the Wild, who have points in 17 of 21 games.dddddddddddd The Wild, who have lost their last four games that have gone to overtime or a shootout, were limited to 10 shots in the first 40 minutes, but rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to tie the game at 3-all on goals by Granlund and Cooke. Granlund closed the gap to 3-2, beating Cory Schneider with a bad-angle shot from low in the left circle midway through the period. Cooke tied the game with 4:32 to play, deflecting a slap shot by Marco Scandella 2 seconds after a penalty to Travis Zajac expired. Parise, who was booed every time he touched the puck, got the Wild on the scoreboard with a power-play goal when he deflected a shot by Ryan Suter 21 seconds into the third. "To come back in the third period down against these guys, down 2-0 and 3-1, and we were able to claw back and get a point. There is a little bit of a silver lining," Parise said. "Weve got to turn that corner and start winning some of these games that go into extra time." Ryder opened the scoring with 3:02 left in the first, snapping a 23-game goal drought by taking a pass from Elias and ripping a shot past Bryzgalov from between the circles. The Devils had a chance to add to their lead when Wild defenceman Nate Prosser was given a somewhat iffy five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing Devils forward Tim Sestito behind the Minnesota net. Minnesota, however, had a great chance to tie the game early in the major when Parise had a breakaway after defenceman Jon Merrill fell at the Wild blue line. Parise skated in alone but Schneider smothered his shot. Minnesota survived the power play, but New Jersey went up 2-0 midway through the second period on Faynes short-handed goal, which was set up by Henrique and Elias. Parises 24th goal of the season cut the deficit to 2-1, but Jagr got his 23rd of the season a little more than three minutes later on a power play. NOTES: The Devils dressed seven defencemen after making forwards Damien Brunner and Steve Bernier healthy scratches. ... Sestito had to be helped off the ice after the major penalty and he did not return. ... This was the Wilds first game in New Jersey since Jan. 4, 2011. ' ' '