Darryl Sutter on Saturday Night's Officiating, 'you come into Toronto, you know what goes on'
In Calgary's Saturday night OT defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Flames found themselves shorthanded six times, while the Leafs buried three powerplay goals; including Mitch Marner's game-winner in the extra frame.
After the game, Flames head coach Darryl Sutter was asked about his team taking six penalties. Uncharacteristically, Sutter deflected blame from his team, even going as far as to imply Toronto is the recipient of friendly officiating and that this is known league-wide.
"That's one thing I learned a long time ago — when you're in Chicago all those years and you come into Toronto, you know what goes on. I won't say nothing more."
What's unusual is that Sutter rarely blames outside factors for his team's performance. He firmly preaches accountability as a pillar on any team of his, so when he flat-out insinuates that the league is complicit, people tend to listen.
To one question, Sutter replied, "you think they were all penalties tonight? I don't."
Clearly, Sutter was not happy about the officiating, enough that he felt compelled to let it be known in the post-game presser. He kept it cordial enough so as to avoid a fine, but we all know what he was suggesting.
Internet personality Steve Dangle - a totally unbiased Toronto Maple Leafs fan - took issue with Sutter's implication. He took the time to research a statistic measuring powerplay opportunities per game, and he discovered that since 2016-17, Toronto ranks 28th whereas Calgary ranks 5th. Rather interesting if I do say so myself.
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