Don Cherry says Milan Lucic is getting a raw deal from referees.
Appearing on Coach’s Corner with Ron MacLean, Cherry was upset with how the referees handled an incident between the Boston Bruins forward and Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexei Emelin in last Sunday’s game.
For complete Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada coverage, check out the Live Hub
Cherry showed a clip of Emelin hitting Lucic — a play for which he believes the Canadiens defenceman should have been penalized — and then was dumbfounded when the Bruins forward was given a penalty at a crucial juncture of the game for a light cross-check.
“Watch what (Lucic) does to him. He gets a penalty for that in a 2-1 game? Are you nuts? I wonder why the league is picking on (Milan) Lucic.” Cherry said.
MacLean asked if it had anything to do with last season’s infamous handshake line fiasco.
After the Bruins were eliminated from the 2014 post-season by Montreal, Lucic aggressively shook hands and had words with Emelin and Canadiens forward Dale Weise. The Vancouver native reportedly said: “I’m going to kill you next year.”
Earlier in the playoff series, the Canadiens were upset with Lucic for jabbing the defenceman in the stomach with his stick.
That incident came after a March 24 game where Lucic speared Emelin between the legs – a play he wasn’t punished for. Afterwards, Lucic called Emelin a chicken for what he thought was a low hit.
