National Hockey League

Toronto Maple Leafs: Shut-up About 'Wall'

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:02 p.m. ET

Fansided, James Tanner/FanSided via Editor In Leaf

The Toronto Maple Leafs got Morgan Rielly back, but it didn’t do them any good.

Funny how an NHL season can turn so quickly. The Toronto Maple Leafs win two straight games by a 4-0 score, and have several games in hand on teams they are chasing, and everything looks good.

Then, a loss the Flyers before the break, three games in four nights, totally excusable.

The Stars beat them 6-3, but it’s been a week since they played, no big deal.

Finally, a Blues team that is playing it’s first game since firing their coach – you kind of expect the Maple Leafs to lose that one.

Three losses, all acceptable, all games in which it is reasonable to lose – but of course this is the Leafs we’re talking about – so cue up a trip to Ridiculous Narrative City.

Rookies Hitting a Wall

The Dumbest, absolute most inane narrative that surrounds this team has to be the “Rookies Hitting the Wall” narrative.

Because what happens is that even though they are professional athletes who are 19-20-21 years old, they somehow just can’t handle a full season of NHL hockey.

Mentally, they became professionals at the age where most people are doing keg-stands, so I’m not sure that could be much of a factor. If you were weak in this area, you probably wouldn’t already be in the NHL.

Physically, their bodies will never recover faster or be able to take more abuse.

Honestly, it’s an easy-answer narrative for lazy analysts. The fact is, every team loses three games in a row. Every team, every player goes into a slump. It just so happens that if you do that while you are a rookie, or your team has a lot of rookies, it mean’s you have hit the made-up fictional B.S “Wall.”

Remember when Matthews went 13 games without a goal? If that happened a month later than it did, people would have talked about the Wall.

The Leafs Will be Fine

Yes, it kind of sucks to lose three in a row. But the Toronto Maple Leafs remain in great position for a post-season run. Plus – losing builds character.

Boston is three points ahead of Toronto, having played five more games.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have 33 games to make up five points on the Senators. A team that is in no-way better than them.

And if all else fails, the spectacularly bad Philadelphia Flyers are only three points up. They’ve played three more games too.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Shut-up About 'Wall'

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