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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, "Goalie interference, no goal" http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=2013020977-X-h Devils defenceman bumps/trips Flyer towards the net, both touch goalie. "Good goal" http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=2013020984-X-h (the Burns goal) The goalie was being held on the ice by an attacking player - isnt that textbook goaltender interference? Brian Hi Kerry, I have a question about the Sharks 2nd goal tonite. The ref blew his whistle and waived off the goal, seemingly indicating there was a reason why it wasnt a goal. If he only believed the puck had not entered the net, wouldnt the play go on as the puck was still live? Seems to me that was a give-back for the blown call minutes earlier where San Jose was robbed of a goal by the refs quick whistle. Love to hear your perspective. ThanksDavid Brian and David: Thank you very much for submitting your questions as to why contact with the goalkeeper in Philadelphia resulted in a crucial disallowed goal, yet in San Jose the Sharks second goal was allowed to stand. This is not an example of inconsistency, as some might suggest, but the referees correct decision on both plays is supported in the language and interpretation found in Rule 69. With the Flyers net empty for an extra attacker, the puck was kicked out of a high scrum of players and thrown across ice by Kimmo Timonen to Jacub Voracek. Scott Hartnell broke for the net with Anton Volchenchov in close pursuit from behind. There was some minor contact exerted by Volchenkov on Hartnell as the Flyer extended to redirect Voraceks pass at Martin Brodeur from outside the crease. Brodeur made the initial save but offered up a rebound as Volchenkov lost his balance and fell to the ice with a slide toward the goal. There was no push, shove or check delivered by Volchenkov on Hartnell and their contact was incidental in nature. Scott Hartnell remained on his skates in a path that took him into the goal crease. Hartnell repositioned his body and began to throw snow in a stopping motion. It appears at this point that Scotts skate contacted the puck and directed it back into Brodeurs stacked pads. Scott Hartnells forward momentum then took him deep into the goal crease. Hartnell initiated a hip bump at the point of contact with Martin Brodeur that knocked both the goalie and the puck into the net. Referee Tom Kowal, with very good position to see the contact, utilized Rule 69.6 to immediately wave off the potential goal. (69.6: In the event that a goalkeeper has been pushed into the net together with the puck after making a stop, the goal will be disallowed.) Kowal correctly ruled that the contact by Hartnell was "incidental" as opposed to deliberate thereby resulting in no goal and no penalty on the play. This is not a reviewable play. The decision made by the Toronto Situation Room to initiate a review and the subsequent announcement the referee was forced to make did not bring clarity or support the decision made on the ice by referee Kowal. The delay in getting the game resumed quickly, in addition to the announcement, "Following video review its confirmed its not a good hockey goal. Its no goal" further infuriated Flyers fans in the building for no useful purpose since video review could not overturn the referees decision. Bottom line is that in the judgment of the referee, Martin Brodeur and the puck were knocked into the net through incidental contact exerted by Scott Hartnell. The call made on the ice by the referee was both correct and courageous - end of story! In San Jose, Joe Thornton was positioned to the side and above the goal crease when Tim Gleason of the Leafs checked Thornton from behind with solid contact. The hit caused Thornton to lurch forward into Dion Phaneuf positioned at the top, middle of the crease. Phaneuf pushed back on Thornton, causing Jumbo Joe to enter the blue paint. Thornton was conscious of avoiding contact with Leafs goalkeeper James Reimer, as demonstrated by his effort to straddle Reimer with a wide stance. Thorntons forward momentum from the Phaneuf push, combined with Joes wide stance, caused his upper body to veer forward with a loss of balance. In an effort to regain his balance, Joe had no alternative but to place his hands on the back of James Reimer. Thornton quickly pushed himself up and off Reimer and then immediately exited the goal crease prior to the shot entering the net. The referees decision is supported by Rule 69.1; (If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.) Joe Thornton made more than a reasonable attempt to avoid James Reimer after being body checked by two Leaf players at the edge of the goal crease. The speed with which Thornton exited the crease is also of significance. Had he delayed his departure and remained in contact with the goalkeeper a different decision by the referee would most likely have been rendered. The referee waved the goal off because he thought the puck hit the crossbar on the shot by Brent Burns. Video review subsequently confirmed that the puck did enter the net on the shot. The refs initial decision on this play had nothing to do with the previously disallowed goal when he ruled the puck was covered and play dead prior to Scott Hannan jamming the puck from under James Reimer. In Philadelphia and San Jose, two distinctly different plays involved contact with the goalkeeper and resulted in the correct decision being rendered by both refs based on two separate rule applications contained in Rule 69. Dexter Williams Jersey . - A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year. 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"Im excited just for a new start, just to see where things are going, to bring some kind of tradition back to the team and guys being excited about something new," the defensive back said during a conference call Monday after agreeing to stay with the Bombers rather than go to free agency next month. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tony Romo got another chance after throwing a late-game interception at home. This time, he came through. Romo threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Dwayne Harris with 35 seconds left, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-23 Sunday. Romos 7-yard pass to Harris answered an 11-yard touchdown by Adrian Peterson that had given Minnesota a 23-20 lead. The East Texas kid raised on the Cowboys had 140 yards rushing in his first game at their $1.2 billion stadium. The Cowboys (5-4) bounced back from a devastating loss at Detroit by avoiding what probably would have been a more damaging defeat. "We just have to keep the belief throughout the whole football game," said Romo, who was 34 of 51. "I never doubted that we would find a way to win this game, and we did it." Christian Ponder threw for a touchdown and ran for another score against his hometown team, but it wasnt enough to avoid a fourth straight loss for the Vikings (1-7). Romos first attempt to answer Petersons go-ahead score was intercepted on a great play along the sideline by A.J. Jefferson -- and was a reminder of the late pick he threw in Dallas only home loss this year. Dallas didnt get another shot after that play, with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos running out the clock and winning 51-48 on a field goal on the final play. But the Vikings couldnt convert this late Romo mistake into points and gave him the ball back at the Dallas 10 with 2:44 remaining. Dez Bryant had a 34-yard catch that put Dallas in position for at least a tying field goal, which was possible because Blair Walsh missed wide right on the extra point after Petersons touchdown. But Romo kept pushing. He threw 9 yards to Cole Beasley and 5 to Jason Witten, who led Dallas with eight catches for 102 yards. On the next play, Romo found Harris cutting between defenders in the middle of the field, and Harris dived over the goal line. "I think if you pull back and you really look at Tony Romos career, people want to talk about some of these plays where things didnt work out," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "But if you really look at his body of work and you look at it objectively, hes done this kind of stuff a lot." Peterson got Minnesotas go-ahead drive earlier in the quarter going with a 52-yard run, then went the final 11 on fourth-and-1. He easily got the first down and carried safety Jeff Heath the last few yards, with Heath trying to strip the ball as Peterson crossed the goal line.dddddddddddd "I dont really care about the yards," said Peterson, who had 25 carries and another 37 yards receiving. "I want to get some Ws. I dont want to rush for 2,000 yards and be sitting at home watching others play." After there was one touchdown between the teams in the first half, there were three in the first 7 minutes of the third quarter. Romo had consecutive 26-yard completions to Witten, the second for a touchdown and a 13-10 lead. A week after Cordarrelle Patterson set an NFL record with a 109-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, he fumbled a short kickoff out of bounds at the Minnesota 5. On the next play, George Selvie knocked the ball out of Ponders hand in the end zone, and the Cowboys ended up with touchdowns just 10 seconds apart on the fumble recovery by Nick Hayden. Ponder, who played high school football in the Dallas suburb of Colleyville, had an answer, finding Jennings for 27 yards on third-and-4 before going to Kyle Rudolph, who bounced off Barry Church at the 6 and finished off a 31-yard scoring catch to get the Vikings to 20-17. "I need to be out there playing," said Ponder, who was 25 of 37 after being named starter on Friday, and with Josh Freeman inactive because of a concussion. "For myself and the leaders on this team, we need to get this turned around and get out there and win." The Cowboys were in position to extend the 20-17 lead when Bryant took his team out of field goal range with unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet and arguing with officials as a pass interference penalty against him was about to be announced. Bryant, who made headlines last week with a pair of sideline outbursts in a loss at Detroit, later dropped an easy first-down catch on second-and-18 on a drive that ended with a punt. "I didnt know anything about the helmet rule," said Bryant, who had six catches for 64 yards. "I knew the play was over with, and I thought it was OK. During the timeouts, I always take my helmet off." Ponder led a pair of 11-play scoring drives in the first half, the second one ending on his 6-yard scramble for a 10-6 lead late in the second quarter. NOTES: Peterson played the Cowboys at Texas Stadium his rookie year in 2007. Before Sunday, that was Dallas only win in the past eight games against the Vikings. ... Witten avoided a four-game streak with fewer than five catches. It would have been his first since 2008. ... The Vikings are off to their worst start since the franchises debut in 1961. ' ' '