Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Max Domi has set the tone for the Maple Leafs’ final push as Toronto shifts into postseason mode. Read more on the new team mindset.
The Toronto Maple Leafs put on a gutsy display in Winnipeg to close out the road trip, overcoming a 2-goal deficit to force overtime, where Max Domi put the Jets on ice off of a sweet feed from Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
The win pushed the Leafs to 2-1-1 on their 4-game road trip, with the team collecting 5 of a possible 8 points. It also helped them keep pace with the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race.
It’s not often when Domi gets to play the hero, especially on Hockey Night in Canada in the city where he was born and for the team he grew up idolizing. Naturally, his OT winner earned him a feature interview following the win. It was there were Domi shared the Leafs’ mindset for the home stretch.
Domi Reveals Maple Leafs’ Internal Mindset During the Home Stretch
Among the main messages Domi wished to convey to fans and the media was that the internal mindset is that, from here on out, the Leafs are treating every game like a playoff game.
“It’s playoff hockey from here on out. We’ve been talking about it for a month or so, but this is why we play, so just keep chipping away. We’ve got everyone going right now — 4 lines, 6 D, both goalies — it’s fun to play hockey right now.”
Domi went on to celebrate Auston Matthews as one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world, praising his efforts this season. I’m sure the captain handing Domi his biggest goal of the season played a role in his post-game praise, but he wasn’t joking about Matthews being “a beast” in recent weeks.
With 10 goals in his last 11 games, Matthews seems to be rediscovering the form that saw him score 69 goals just a couple of short seasons ago.
As far as the Leafs playing playoff hockey from here on out, let’s hope that it will lead to some quality playoff hockey once the playoffs actually begin.
Previously on Toronto Hockey Daily
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“It’s Playoff Hockey From Here on Out”: Max Domi Sets the Stakes for the Maple Leafs’ Final Push
Do you think Max Domi’s OT winner in Winnipeg was his biggest goal of the season?