• Powered by Roundtable
    Ken Campbell
    Dec 19, 2025, 16:55
    Updated at: Dec 19, 2025, 16:55

    In 2011-12, former Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke compared the team to an 18-wheeler going off a cliff. After Thursday's 4-0 loss, Ken Campbell asks if it's time to make that comparison again.

    If you're a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, you're likely trying to process whether you're more disgusted with the fact that they lost 4-0 to the Washington Capitals Thursday night or how the players responded to it afterward.

    In the wake of perhaps their worst performance of the season (and that's saying something), the Leafs admitted to a lack of conviction and urgency in a situation that required someone, anyone, to step up and lead the way.

    The Maple Leafs are a mess right now. On the coaching side, their power play is biblically putrid and they lack structure. Every breakout is an adventure. On the players' side, either everyone is trying to do everything or nobody is doing anything. Their level of compete in the face of a dire situation is baffling.

    It all harkens back to the 2011-12 season when GM Brian Burke said that edition of the Leafs was like an 18-wheeler going off a cliff. Well, look out, because the 2025-26 edition looks to be careening off the road as well.

    Watch today's video column up above for more.


    Image

    For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.