from Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette,
It used to be so much fun laughing at Leafs fans. You remember. The talk of “losers since ’67” and all that. I’ll never forget going to a Montreal-Toronto Saturday night matchup at the Bell Centre with my son, like maybe 12 years ago, and, as usual, the joint was filled with obnoxious Maple Leafs fans. That night, as we walked in, they were taunting Habs fans, shouting — “Ha ha, you haven’t won since ’93.” And us Canadiens fans just laughed even harder, reminding them they hadn’t won that Cup since 1967.
That was then, this is now. Ever since Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment hired Brendan Shanahan as president of the Leafs in the summer of 2014, the former loser Leafs have, at the very least, joined the discussion as a potential elite team. I am well aware that they still haven’t won squat in the playoffs under Shanahan, general manager Kyle Dubas and overhyped coach Mike Babcock. And yes, if the Leafs once again lose to their kryptonite — that would be the Boston Bruins — in the first round this coming season, I have to figure Babcock is going to be feeling some mega heat.
But the Leafs are a smartly managed team and you have to think that when Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews get another year or two under their belts and Dubas finally gets a stud D-man, they’ll be a serious Cup contender.
Things are much less certain for Montreal Canadiens fans.
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