Darryl Sutter says that the Maple Leafs are the best team in the NHL
It's an all-Canadian battle on Saturday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Calgary Flames. The two teams have gone in opposite directions since the start of the season in mid-October.
Currently, the Calgary Flames sit fifth in the Pacific Division with a 13-11-3 record through 27 games, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 17-5-6 in 28 games.
Ahead of Saturday's contest, Flames head coach Darryl Sutter made a pretty bold claim about the Maple Leafs, calling them the best team in the NHL right now.
"Toronto is on a really good roll, back-to-back shutouts, points in 13 straight," Sutter said. "Based on that, they're the best team in the league right now."
While the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights all have better records than Toronto, technically, Sutter isn't wrong when talking about how the team has been playing of late. The Maple Leafs have looked really strong in the last month, doing so with key absences to their blue line. In their last ten games, the Maple Leafs have an 8-0-2 record, with back-to-back shutouts coming against Dallas and Los Angeles this past week.
One player that deserves a ton of praise for the Maple Leafs' success is forward Mitch Marner, who is currently on a 21-game point streak, where he's put up 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists).
Sutter went on to mention that the top players on the Maple Leafs, including the aforementioned Mitch Marner, as well as Auston Matthews, are setting the tone for the rest of the roster.
"With Toronto, and I saw it last year, their top players, those guys have taken another whole level in terms of their leadership," Sutter said. "They're by-example-type players. It's so evident when you watch them."
Puck drop for Saturday's tilt at Scotiabank Arena between the Maple Leafs and Flames is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBC and Sportsnet.
Source: theScore
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