Like father, like son: Max Domi helping elite Leafs scorer thrive
They’re the common Domi denominator for significant scoring numbers by two generations of elite Maple Leaf centres.
Of course, Tie Domi had a much different role in a much different NHL with Mats Sundin than son Max currently plays with Auston Matthews.
Tie kept the sailing lanes safe for Sundin and a lot of other skilled Leafs, often called Toronto’s “nuclear deterrent” to anyone who’d dare mess with the captain as he climbed to the franchise lead in points. Tie in turn is the Leafs penalty-minute leader.
Max is a more refined playmaker, finding the seams for Matthews’ optimum shots as he closes in on an astounding 70 goals.
Many can’t believe that Mitch Marner won’t end up on Matthews’ right side when playoffs get underway and Marner fully recovers from an ankle injury. But right now, with the Domi DNA in use forcing play and retrieving pucks, but showing the required patience to find Matthews or Tyler Bertuzzi, coach Sheldon Keefe won’t mess with success.
“(Max) has such great vision,” Matthews told reporters Tuesday night in Newark after Domi set him up for his 66th goal and helped on Bertuzzi’s 20th before that in a 5-2 win. “He can just thread needles out there and a super easy guy to play with. We just try and feed off each other. There’s not a whole lot of one-on-one out there, it’s just a lot of give-andgo and moving into space.
“(Bertuzzi) is playing with a lot more confidence. Early on, it’s a new team, new everything and he’s trying to get the hang of things. He works so hard and really good in the corners.
“Between him, myself and Max, we just try to hunt pucks, dog the defence, create turnovers and try to attack the other way. It has been a lot of fun with those guys.”
Keefe is encouraged with how the trio jells in games that aren’t going the Leafs’ way. Sometimes it’s not until the second or third period that they hit their stride.
“I see the chemistry is good that way,” the coach said. “I think they really enjoy being together, you can see it. Because of the way they play, they have high expectations of themselves already.
“When it’s not going well, like in the first period (Tuesday), they want to make adjustments. Like our team, once the second period began, offensively, we had to get way more pace and once we found our legs, that line led the charge.”
Domi found Matthews from behind the net for a middle-period chance that only a 10-bell save from Jake Allen prevented before Domi waited for Matthews in prime position for the third-period blast for 66.