1. The Dress Code
The Toronto Maple Leafs now allow players to come to the rink dressed however they want. The idea that this is the cause of their losing streak is is the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard an adult say.
I don’t want to mince words here, so I’ll be very clear: This doesn’t affect the outcome of games any more than a fan who refuses to wash his lucky jersey.
This is a talking point that isn’t even worthy of a Fox News segment.
Allowing players to be more comfortable and to express themselves might have a positive effect. It certainly can’t have a negative effect. It probably doesn’t make a difference one way or the other.
Dress for success? Sure, if you have to superficially impress someone, it will be beneficial to look sharp. But if you already have a job, and if you are changing before you do it anyways, then it doesn’t matter.
The dress code isn’t affecting anything, and while it’s fun to explore theories, the fact remains that there are hundreds of examples in the history of the NHL of perfectly good teams hitting the skids when they suddenly experience a prolonged shooting or save percentage slump.
There are 208 games previous to the Montreal series where the Toronto Maple Leafs were the third highest scoring team in hockey with the same exact core of players they have now. 208 games are more indicative of both seven (if you count only this season) or 14 (if you count the playoffs). If you are into gambling, do yourself a favor and bet on the Leafs.