Recapping a mind-blowing 24 months in the Brendan Shanahan era

For the first time in a very long time, everything is coming up roses for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Back on May 8th, 2014 — almost two years ago to this day — the Maple Leafs, lead by Brendan Shanahan and Dave Nonis, signed Randy Carlyle to a two-year extension with an option for a third year. Leafs fans were sick and tired of a team that was poorly structured, lacked effort, and had a penchant for finding new ways to collapse epically, whether it be it from playoff positions or in a playoff game. Fans saw that — despite a poorly constructed core — Randy Carlyle was a primary reason for the Leafs’ frequently embarrassing play. The contract extension of Carlyle sent the fanbase into an uproar,…