Don Cherry always has an interesting take on things. When Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier gave up a goal from center ice by Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Cherry pointed the finger at a surprising target — the referees.
(The red velvety goodness starts around :40 if you want to skip ahead.)
Cherry holds the officials – specifically referee Francis Charron, who dropped the puck to start the period – accountable for not ensuring that both goaltenders were ready to begin play.
“Watch Mike Smith, a good Kingston guy right there, my buddy. You see he’s not even ready yet.”
…
“[Bernier] was a little screened, but he was not ready.”
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“I was at a Marlies game last night. [Before the faceoff,] the referee went ‘Are you ready, goalie? Are you ready, goalie?’ You can’t just go ahead and drop the puck. What nonsense is that!”
For what it’s worth, Bernier didn’t point a finger at the officials, instead shouldering the blame himself for letting the puck go by.
“I didn’t see it,” said Bernier. “I lost it in the stands. It just dipped in front of me.”
