The Maple Leafs’ history is out there, hanging in the air, anytime they’re in this situation and they fall short.



As we all know, it’s a brutal, ugly history – especially the last 13 years. And while they now have a roster filled with promising rookies, they also still have remnants from that ugly past. One-third of the roster has been through at least some of that Shawshank Redemption sewage pipe crawl.



Three players who were there for the 18-wheeler off the cliff in 2012. Five players who were there during the Meltdown in Beantown in 2013. Seven who were part of end-of-season collapses in 2014 (two wins in 14 games) and 2015 (11 wins in 51).



So when there is a big, pressure-filled game – as there was Thursday, with a playoff spot on the line against the Lightning – it’s one of those moments where those holdover Leafs get a shot to help redefine the franchise. They get a chance at redemption, to flip...