Skinner denies Boston’s slew-footing accusations

Carolina forward Jeff Skinner has taken issue with comments made by the Bruins suggesting he slew-footed Patrice Bergeron in the waning moments of Boston’s 5-3 win on Monday.

“I don’t think that’s what happened,” Skinner told the Raleigh News and Observer. “I think [Bergeron] stepped in front of me and we both fell back. I looked at the tape and my hips were open. I don’t know how you can pull somebody back over your leg when your hips are open.

“I think my left foot was off the ice there and we were both off-balance. We got tangled up.”

Here’s video of the incident, with the *alleged* Skinner slew foot on Bergeron (who, by the way, told Boston media “I know he did it,” when discussing Skinner’s actions).

Everything gets going behind the Boston goal at the five second mark:

Skinner told the News and Observer he watched the replay six times before reaching his conclusion.

“We got tangled up. I don’t know what else to say,” he explained. “He puts his stick across my body and latches on to me and we both fell backward. I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do in that situation.”

As for Brad Marchand‘s accusations that Skinner slew-foots “all the time” — well, either the paper didn’t ask Skinner about his reputation as a serial slew-footer, or he didn’t respond.

The 20-year-old forward does have a history with this sort of thing, having been accused of slew-footing Caps defenseman Dmitry Orlov last March.