NHL analyst provides insight as to why Morgan Rielly is struggling this season
NHL analyst Kevin Bieksa discussed Morgan Rielly last night, stating why he believes the Maple Leafs defenseman is struggling this year.
Morgan Rielly certainly has not had a great season for the Maple Leafs, at least not by his standards.
Through 50 games he has 5 goals and just 22 points. He also has a rating of -16, which is already approaching his career-worst of -20.
The 30-year-old has also seen a significant reduction in ice time, averaging just under 21 and a half minutes a night, down from nearly 24 minutes per game last season and his career average of just over 22 minutes.
Last night, former NHLer turned analyst Kevin Bieksa broke down why he thinks Rielly has been struggling, pointing to a lack of confidence.
He even made an interesting observation about Rielly's stick, pointing out that he has changed the type of tape he is using.
"Its the confidence. Is it there, Is it not? I know the Morgan Rielly I played with always used white tape on his stick. I've never, ever seen him with anything other than, until recently, black tape. That makes me think he's looking for something different.
He's looking for a different look, a different spark. And I wonder, is the confidence wavering a little bit? A great player still having a decent season. But I think you're going to start to start to see more and more and not down the stretch."
He's looking for a different look, a different spark. And I wonder, is the confidence wavering a little bit? A great player still having a decent season. But I think you're going to start to start to see more and more and not down the stretch."
Many hockey players are superstitious about their tape, often using the same color, brand, and tape job for their entire careers.
As such, this seemingly silly observation might actually be quite meaningful.
It is easy to see how Rielly might be feeling a bit down this season as well.
His reduced ice time combined with the fact that he has been taken off the top powerplay could weigh heavily on any player.
Those factors could be especially prevalent for a player like Rielly, who has spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs.
Hopefully, Rielly will get on a hit streak to help him get his confidence back soon.
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