The Maple Leafs have been relying heavily on rookies early in the season, including William Nylander and Mitch Marner, right. ( Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS )CHICAGO—This was what it could look like in Toronto one day. Not there’s anything in North American sports quite like the long history of futility of the Chicago Cubs. And maybe that makes the passing of time since the Maple Leafs’ last trip to the Stanley Cup final — which coincided with their most recent Stanley Cup win in 1967, 50 years ago this spring — seem like a relative nanosecond. Playing a few miles south at the United Center in a game that concluded as the Cubs came down to crunch time, the young Maple Leafs continued to display their vast and exciting promise.

Source: thestar October 23, 2016 22:02 UTC