Article content

OTTAWA — Mitch Marner still has the type of baby face associated with a kid in minor hockey, not the NHL. There are signs of stubble on the chin of fellow rookie Auston Matthews, but he’s worlds away from ever approaching the fuzziness of, say, Brent Burns.

When it comes to potential playoff beards, many of these young Maple Leafs will likely come up short in the facial hair department. When it comes to their on-ice maturity, however, their rapid development — as well as that of the entire team as a whole — is far more tangible.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Toronto Maple Leafs no longer want to win hockey games — they expect to win: 'That's a big difference' Back to video

As the Leafs embark on the second half of the season, the phoenix-like ascension of this team’s learning curve through the first 41 games of the season is admirable, if for no other reason than for how quickly the growth process has taken place.

No longer is Toronto regularly belching up late leads. No longer does Matthews need to be the offensive bell cow like he was on the opening night of the season, when he scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators in his first NHL game — which the Maple Leafs still lost 5-4 in overtime.