ST. LOUIS — “Even on paper last year, when they weren’t doing too well, I think it surprised a lot of people. They got a group over there of players, a lot of skill, and when I saw it turn it around, I wasn’t really surprised about it. I knew the talent they had and the depth they had so, I wasn’t too surprised about it.”



Mitch Marner was talking about the St. Louis Blues, who rose from the dead to win the Stanley Cup last season. But in some ways, he could have been talking about his own team this season, at least when it comes to a rotten start despite all that talent.



Will the Maple Leafs complete their own miracle?



It’s not too late, especially if performances like the one the Leafs engineered against the defending champs on Saturday night become more the norm. It wasn’t the beatdown the final score (5-2) indicated, but there were lots of good signs in victory, particularly a special teams crew that managed...