The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a much-needed 60-minute effort on Monday night in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames, complete with scoring from all around the lineup, solid goaltending, and an excellent power play; three things that this team will desperately need to make a decent playoff run.
While Auston Matthews will receive a good chunk of the spotlight thanks to a two-goal, three-point performance, Max Domi was one of the most involved players all night, capitalizing on momentum from his strong play in recent games by scoring a goal and adding an assist. Many saw Domi’s reunion with Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann on the third line as a bad thing considering it meant reuniting the top line, but the move paid off. The top line of Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies set the tone early in the game, and by the end of it, each member of the Domi line had a goal.
Domi, who has long considered himself to be a fan of Matthews even before the two became teammates, praised the captain for his leadership on Monday night.
“He’s driving the bus, for sure,” Domi told reporters following the Leafs’ win over Calgary. “It’s tough not to jump on board with a guy like that. As talented as he is, you see him tracking back, turning pucks over, stripping guys, taking guys on 1-on-3 down low and coming out with the puck somehow.”
Matthews has taken some flak this season because his goal-scoring has suffered a serious blip between injuries and just general inconsistency, on pace for his lowest single-season total since 2017-18 when he scored 34 goals, but Domi reiterated that his appreciation for Matthews’ game is about more than just his ability to put the puck in the net.
“The goal-scoring speaks for itself, but it’s all the other stuff, how he handles himself in here,” Domi continued. “I’ve said it from day 1, he’s my favourite player to watch, favourite player to play with, and he’s the best player in the world. Love him to death and he’s doing a great job.”
Being the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is no easy task, especially when the franchise is at the point where they are right now. The pressure has never been higher, and the fans may not see much beyond a dejected face and the ‘C’ on his jersey when the Leafs are struggling, but it’s clear that he has the respect of his teammates and his coaching staff, which is all that truly matters in the end.
Nick Robertson, who scored a goal in his second game back after being scratched for a pair, echoed Domi’s praise for Matthews and spoke highly about his work ethic.
“He’s a competitor,” Robertson told reporters. “Every game he’s coming to compete, and I think it kind of went his way today. He’s one of the most reliable players on our team and he showed up tonight.”
Everybody knows that when Matthews is on, his goal-scoring ability is his calling card. But when you speak to his teammates and his coaching staff, the two common denominators are his defensive game and his work ethic, which speaks to the example he’s setting for his teammates. Head coach Craig Berube highlighted this as well.
“That’s your leader, right?” Berube said. “He led the way, for me. Led the way with effort, competitiveness, just work.”
While the amount of heat Matthews takes is understandable at times given the long-lasting playoff struggles, it’s important to remember how long the team was starved for a true first-line centre following the departure of Mats Sundin. The Leafs knew they would be getting a goal-scorer when they selected him first overall, but his commitment to team defence makes him a one-of-a-kind player, and it’s something fans tend to take for granted sometimes, as much as the playoff qualms are warranted.
The Leafs will be back in action on Wednesday night and will look to string together some wins, but they’ll have a tough task right off the bat in the Colorado Avalanche. It’s important that Matthews and the Leafs carry the same energy from Monday night into that game and throughout the rest of the season.
