Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson are both struggling to generate offence which has resulted in them needing to rely on superstitions to get out of their respective funks.

McMann has four points so far this season but has gone pointless in his last 10 games, with his most recent offensive contribution being an assist against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 21st. He was asked by reporters after Tuesday’s optional morning skate how he adjusts his games when mired in a slump and he admitted to looking to change up his routine a bit.

“I am, unfortunately, a little bit superstitious. I don’t love to be but I kind of just stick with the same superstitions all the time,” he laughed. “I’m not trying to change it. Maybe off the ice before, maybe changing the way I take my stick or whatever. I don’t think that changes a whole lot. I was just trying to stick with it and continue to work and hopefully it translates on the ice.”

McMann later added that in this recent slump, he has tried to slightly alter his pre-game routine in terms of the order in which he does things on and off the ice as well as his mindset. He says it’s part of an effort to shake things up to hopefully lead to more positive results.

Robertson has been stuck on one goal so far this season after being one of the major bright spots during the preseason. He told reporters that he can be a bit superstitious about his sticks when the puck is not finding the back of the net.

“You kind of get in your head about things,” he said. “I’m pretty bad with my sticks, so I don’t try to change it. It’s just little things like that. Overall, I don’t try to change too much, I try to stick to what’s worked for me in the past I try not to overthink it. Other than the sticks, everything’s fine.”

Robertson added that he tends to see if something is off with his twig in terms of height and feel, but he also knows that it just takes one to go in to feel good about his game again.

Hockey players are notorious for being overly superstitious in their routines because they want to always feel confident in their abilities. Doing whatever they can to get back to that positive string of luck, whether that be through slightly altering the pre-game rituals or adjusting the twig, is part of that process to regain some momentum.

One player who doesn’t seem to need superstitions to get their game going is William Nylander, whom Robertson aspires to have a calm demeanour in his approach to the game.

“He’s just so relaxed, ” he said. “I don’t even know if he has a routine or superstition. He just comes to the rink with a big smile and gets on the ice and scores goals. So obviously I wish I could be like that, but maybe one day.”