Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen is finally starting to prove why he was made a first round selection in the 2014 NHL entry draft,
The 22-year-old has taken full advantage of William Nylander’s absence by lightning the lamp while playing alongside the red-hot Auston Matthews. During the Leafs' convincing 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, Kapanen put home goals three and four to start the season and his buddy/longtime teammate Garret Sparks, who led the way for the Buds with 33 saves on 34 shots, basically gave him the ultimate praise afterward by calling him “the fastest player on earth”.
That’s some pretty high praise, especially when you consider two of the world’s fastest in Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Montreal Canadiens speedster Paul Byron are also playing in Canada. While some Leaf fans were loving it, others didn't seem to agree with the take.
McDavid has managed to take home the last two NHL All-Star fastest skater awards, so this comment comes as a bit of a shock. But hey, maybe Sparksy was just trying to pump his teammate’s tires a bit?
Usian Bolt has clocked in at a sprinting speed of 44.72 km/h while McDavid has been recorded at skating over 40, so Kapanen still has some work to do before he can be named in the 'fastest athlete on earth' conversation. And speaking of Bolt, the world's fastest man in history scored a couple of goals of his own just a few days ago...
(H/T Kristen Shilton)
