For most of this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t know what to do with Max Domi — or where he fit in.
Was he a second-line winger? A third-line centre? After acquiring Scott Laughton at the trade deadline, was Domi even a top-nine forward anymore?
In a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators, Domi answered back with: Yes. Yes. And yes.
The 30-year-old gap-toothed forward, who played up and down in the lineup on Tuesday, was a bit of everything for the Leafs in Game 2. That included being the somewhat unlikely OT hero in a game that the home team nearly gave away.
Domi started the night playing wing on a second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. But in overtime, he was centering the third line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson when Domi deked past a couple of defenders and scored the winning goal to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“Every night there’s a different hero in playoffs, it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we get the win,” said Domi. “Shoot the puck, anything can happen.”
In the process, Domi reminded everyone that his biggest asset might just be his versatility, along with his dedication to improving his skill-set.
After all, that move that Domi pulled off in overtime was one that he practised often. That very morning, while his teammates were still in the dressing room, Domi was alone on the ice ripping shot after shot on an empty net. Hours later, he did it for real, while his dad, who is no stranger to the Battle of Ontario, cheered him on from the stands.
“Great play by him,” said Mitch Marner. “That was really cool for him to get that. I’m happy for him. It was an amazing play by him to get that middle (on the ice) and that shot.
'That's Playoff Hockey': Leafs' Stolarz Explains Bodychecking Senators' Greig In Game 2 WinThe Ottawa Senators outhit the Toronto Maple Leafs 44 to 25 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Taking a drop pass from Simon Benoit in the Ottawa end, Domi weaved through traffic and then beat goalie Linus Ullmark with a wrist shot at 3:09 in the extra frame.
“He works on his craft so much on ice, off ice,” said Marner. “How he takes care of his body, how he’s such a pro. I was lucky that I got to see that in London as well when I was really young. To learn off of him was amazing. To see nothing has changed and he’s even more of a pro now is pretty special.”
For Domi, it was the kind of moment that he has likely dreamed about. But it was also the kind of moment that has eluded him for most of his time with the Leafs. After signing a four-year extension worth $15-million last summer, there was an expectation that Domi would get back to being the highly skilled player who once scored 28 goals and 72 points for the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19.
No Panic: Ottawa Senators Lose Again, But They'll Be Better For It In The Short- And Long-TermThere are no moral victories in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so the reality is the Ottawa Senators find themselves down 2-0 in the Battle of Ontario and face an enormous task getting back into this first-round series.
At the very least, with Craig Berube hired as coach, the thinking was Domi would embody the hard-nosed style that the new Leafs coach was preaching.
Instead, with just eight goals and 33 points, Domi has spent the year trying to justify his salary and spot in the lineup.
A day earlier, Berube had told reporters that “Max is good about playing wherever.” After the Leafs gave up a 2-0 lead, Domi was taken off the second line in favour of Pontus Holmberg. “Just an adjustment with match-ups more than anything,” said Berube.
Turns out, it was the right move.
"We Stayed With It': Maple Leafs Halt Senators' Comeback Bid To Take 2-0 Series LeadMax Domi scored the overtime winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series on Tuesday.
Whether he’s playing on the second line, third line or even the fourth line, Domi found a way to make an impact.
“Big win, obviously we needed that one,” said Domi. “I give Ottawa all the credit in the world. They played a heck of a hockey game. We stuck with it, made some plays that we had to make at the right time and big win. On to the next one now.”