Max Domi's game has 'gone to another level' says Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube
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This is the Max Domi the Maple Leafs had in mind.
When the Leafs signed Domi to a four-year pact last summer — the longest contract the 30-year-old has had in the National Hockey League — they figured the return would be an impactful offensive player whose speed and feisty side was evident every night.
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Max Domi's game has 'gone to another level' says Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube Back to video
After inconsistent play from Domi in 2024-25, the Leafs are getting that now and they’re going to need it to continue as the club hits the final stretch of the regular season and into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“Max Domi’s game has gone to another level,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the team practised on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
“He’s way more aggressive. He’s being the player like we want him to be, where he’s in people’s faces, he’s disrupting things, he’s using his speed. And he’s a playmaker. The guy can pass the puck. For me, it’s about the skating.”
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Domi has four points in his past four games and had a spirited (and one-sided) fight with Florida’s Nate Schmidt last week.
On the whole, there is more involvement from Domi. The line of Domi between Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson has good potential for the Leafs and it’s going to get another opportunity on Wednesday when the Colorado Avalanche visits.
Based on practice, Berube won’t be making any changes to his lines or defence pairings following the Leafs’ complete 6-2 win against the visiting Calgary Flames on Monday.
All three of the Domi linemates scored against the Flames. For McMann, there was some relief in putting an end to a 12-game scoring slump. He had not scored a goal since Feb. 6 in Seattle against the Kraken.
“It’s just nice to see it hit the back of the net,” McMann said. “You work on your shot all the time in practice and in the summers. When you’re not scoring, you’re always thinking about it and working on it.”
After taking a pass from Morgan Rielly, McMann beat Flames goalie Dan Vladar along the ice from the faceoff circle to the left of the net.
“You’re going to score goals like he did (Monday) night, but consistently, that’s not going to happen all the time,” Berube said. “He’ll get more goals if he gets to the net more because he’s a big body. It’s about the little things like getting to the net more, rebound chances. That’s where he’s going to get most of his goals.”
AVALANCHE OF TROUBLE
Regarding the intense nature of Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon: It’s real, Mitch Marner said.
Marner got an up-close look at three crucial Colorado players — MacKinnon and defencemen Cale Makar and Devon Toews — when the four were teammates with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
“That’s accurate,” Marner said of MacKinnon’s intensity. “I’ve done a couple of camps with him before and that’s something you appreciate and admire regardless of whether it’s a summer skate or a hockey game or a massive game.
“His compete and demeanour is always the same, which is something that you can take away from it and try to learn off it and do yourself.”
Marner needed no reminder of the challenge that awaits the Leafs in the Avalanche teammates.
“You know from hearing everything and you see highlights all the time of Nate and Cale doing some crazy things,” Marner said. “I was impressed with Toews with his calmness and his presence out there as well, defensively. He and Cale work so well together as a D pairing.
“With Nate, (it’s) the speed up ice, the plays he can make with the puck in his hands when you give him a little bit of time and space. It was a fun time to play with those guys, always a challenge to go against them, but something you look forward to.”
LOOSE LEAFS
Berube on captain Auston Matthews’ dominating performance against the Flames: “He grabbed a hold of the room … He talked and then he walked, really is what it boils down to. He led the way with the work and the compete that was needed at the start of the game.” … John Tavares is four points shy of 1,100 in his NHL career. Once the Leafs centre hits the milestone, he will become the 68th player in NHL history to record 1,100 points.
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