Stars und Sternchen! » important issues beyond a squirt frerback this week

MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact head into a match with the New York Red Bulls in a position to string together their first three-game winning streak of the season, and its thanks largely to the finishing of striker Marco Di Vaio. After Montreal blew an early two-goal lead against El Salvadors C.D. FAS on Wednesday, Di Vaio scored from the penalty spot in the 60th minute to send his team home with a six-point cushion atop their CONCACAF Champions League group — a group that incidentally contains the Red Bulls. Last week in Major League Soccer action, Frank Klopas men downed the Chicago Fire 1-0 at home on a late winner by Di Vaio — a victory that ended Montreals seven-game losing skid in the league. "Weve won two games in a row, so were happy," Di Vaio told reporters in El Salvador following Montreals 3-2 win on Wednesday. "Were going to play against New York with confidence." A win against the Red Bulls in New York on Saturday would allow the Impact to check off several firsts off their list. Montreal is the only team that has yet to register a road win this season. The clubs last MLS win away from Saputo Stadium dates back to Sept. 8, 2013. You can listen live starting at 7pm/et on TSN 690 Montreal. Whats more, the Impact have never beaten New York on the road in three tries in club history. And the team has not recorded back-to-back victories in MLS in exactly one year. As a result, Montreal (4-14-5) is at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings, where the team has dwelled since the beginning of April. Assistant coach Mauro Biello, however, believes the tides are turning. "Obviously, weve had a difficult season in the championship up until now," said Biello from Central America on Wednesday. "Were coming off a win against Chicago, and a big win in El Salvador. Hopefully we can continue to grow and get a few more." Although the last-place Impacts post-season hopes are virtually dead and gone — the team is 11 points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining — Montreal could get a big boost from a New York scheduling conundrum. The Red Bulls open their own Champions League campaign against FAS on Tuesday, three days after welcoming the Impact to Red Bull Arena. If manager Mike Petke decides to split his focus between MLS and the CCL, the Impact could face a slightly weaker Red Bulls lineup on Saturday. "Its two completely different competitions," Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush told reporters after Wednesdays victory in San Salvador. "You saw it last year when we were chasing the playoffs. We had to balance our team a little bit differently in those games. (The Red Bulls) are in a position where theyre still fighting for a playoff spot, and well see what kind of team they put on against us." Petke will have a tough decision to make precisely because New York (6-7-10) is in the midst of a very tight playoff race. Currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with 28 points, the Red Bulls have four teams breathing down their necks. Philadelphia, New England, Chicago, and Houston are all within three points of New Yorks fifth and final playoff spot. "Montreal is a huge game, not just because its an MLS game, but because its also a conference game," Petke told reporters over the phone on Tuesday. "Those are huge. Making the playoffs in MLS is extremely important, not only to me and the players, but to the organization. "Were obviously taking Champions League very seriously. Its a very important and great platform for us. The scheduling part about it is not great, but you have to deal with that and you have to figure out what the best route to go is. If I had to put the two competitions next to each other, I wouldnt put one above the other." On Saturday, Montreal will likely see at least some of Bradley Wright-Phillips on the pitch — whether as a starter or substitute remains to be seen. If the Impact hope to take points from the Red Bulls, they will need to contain the leagues top-scorer, something few MLS clubs have done this year. Wright-Phillips, who leads the league with 18 goals in 22 appearances, has scored against all Eastern Conference teams but two — D.C. United and the Impact. Wright-Phillips is one goal shy of tying the Red Bulls club record for most goals in a season. The 29-year-old, brother of Queens Park Rangers winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, has scored two hat tricks this year. New Yorks Wright-Phillips has scored more goals at home (11) than the entire Impact squad have scored on the road (8) this season. The Red Bulls also have the leagues best passer in Thierry Henry, whose 10 assists are one better than Los Angeles Robbie Keane. Because striker Jack McInerney has been left off the score sheet in his last seven matches, Montreals offensive hopes will likely rest on Di Vaio, who has scored four of Montreals last six goals. On top of being an MLS conference clash, Saturdays game will act as a dress rehearsal for the final two games of Montreals Champions League group stage. The Red Bulls will travel to Saputo Stadium on Sept. 17 before welcoming the Impact to New York on Oct. 22. Notes: New York is coming off a bye week. … Troy Perkins will likely get the start in net for Montreal. … The Red Bulls lost their last time out, 1-0 versus the Fire on the road. … Henry, whose four and a half-year contract with the Red Bulls expires at the end of the season, may be heading towards retirement. … The Impact have not reached the Champions League quarter-finals since their inaugural 2008-09 CCL campaign. Custom Bears Jerseys . Colton Sissons also scored for Milwaukee (19-12-8), which went ahead with a two-goal third period. Wade MacLeod and Greg McKegg replied for Toronto (23-12-4). Taylor Gabriel Jersey . Its a blessing and a burden for nine sons of former NHL players who are all expected to be taken in the first four rounds of the draft this weekend. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_Joel_Iyiegbuniwe_Bears_Jersey/ . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. Allen Robinson Bears Jersey .ca NBA Power Rankings. Winners of 15 straight, with a healthy roster, the Spurs have overtaken the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder for the number one ranking. Cody Parkey Jersey . The D-Backs came into being in 1998 and appear destined to finish second in the AL West after the Tsunami that is the Los Angeles Dodgers swept over them. I thought it might be interesting to see what the D-backs have done over their 16 years compared to what the Blue Jays have done over their past 16 campaigns.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 wiill result in a warning letter being sent to the player.dddddddddddd 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? 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