Max Domi lifted Toronto Maple Leafs lacklustre offensive night with OT winner

Max Domi lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs from a potentially disastrous night with a thrilling overtime winner in Game 2 on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.

After a six-goal outburst in Game 1, Game 2 felt like a massive letdown as the Senators tightened their game and solved much of their indiscipline issues. The Leafs were limited to one power play opportunity following six chances in the opening game.

While the Leafs made the most of their only shot with the man advantage, it still felt, nonetheless, like the team had regressed compared to the first game.

Morgan Rielly and John Tavares scored in the first period of Game 2, making it feel like another walloping was on the horizon. But then, crickets. The Senators slowly clawed their way back into the game, allowing them to force the game into overtime.

But it was there, in overtime, when Max Domi, son of former Maple Leafs great Tie Domi, found the back of the net at the 3:09 mark of the extra frame. And then, everything was great again.

Domi’s goal appeased the victory-starved mobs, who were sharpening their pitchforks and lighting their torches. A loss would have meant the villagers of Leafs Nation would have taken to the streets in search for culprits.

But that would not be the case following Game 2’s heroic victory. Domi saved the night, and by extension, gave the Leafs a 2-0 series lead, something the team had not done since 2002. Max Domi will forever be remembered among those Leafs players who came through at pivotal moments.

Like his dad, he’s carved a niche for himself in Toronto sports lore.

Craig Berube’s life-shuffling worked in Toronto Maple Leafs' victory

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube shuffled the deck a little by moving Max Domi from the wing on the second line to centre on the third line. The move worked as the third line caused trouble for Ottawa the entire night.

But here’s something that wasn’t quite as evident at first glance. The Senators knew they had to shut down the Core Four after Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares ran amok in Game 1.

Things were headed in that direction in Game 2. But then, the Sens’ in-game adjustments put a lid on the Core Four’s ability to dictate the score. In a sense, the Senators dared the Leafs’ bottom six to step up and win the game.

That’s exactly what happened.

Domi’s overtime winner was precisely what the Senators dared the Leafs to do. If it wasn’t going to Matthews or Marner playing the role of hero, it was going to have to be someone like Domi, Pontus Holmberg, Bobby McMann, or Nick Robertson.

It was Domi who answered the call. Now, the Senators have a bigger problem to deal with. They know that the Leafs have a bottom six capable of stepping up. That means that playing tight against the Core Four just won’t be enough.

Heading into Game 3, the Leafs will face a desperate Senators team. Ottawa will need to do anything and everything it can to get back into the series. That’s where a player like Max Domi can find the magic once again and put the Leafs in a position it hasn’t been in for a very long time.