In Thursday night's overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi made the absolute worst play at the worst time. Domi tried forcing the puck to a teammate in front of the crease, only for Zach Werenski to intercept the ill-fated pass.
Werenski found Adam Fantilli down the ice, near Domi. But Fantilli already turned on the jets before Domi knew what was happening, leaving him to watch as Fantilli drilled in the game-winner for the Blue Jackets.
For the Maple Leafs, it was the same story, different night. Another self-inflicted error, and another loss in a winnable game. The loss dropped the Leafs to 9-9-3, and they skated away with one point in a situation in which getting two points any time they get a chance to is growing more valuable.
To say Maple Leafs fans were angry was an understatement. One Reddit thread erupted following the game, with some fans calling for the Leafs to move Domi to wing, while others want him out of town. And can you blame them, considering Domi's pedestrian season?
Maple Leafs fans are right to be critical of Max Domi
Right now, Domi is averaging over a giveaway per game, with 22 in 21 contests. That puts him on pace for 86 giveaways if he keeps turning the puck over at the rate he's been. It wouldn't be as big a deal if he were making up for his mistakes either through producing points or winning enough puck battles to generate more offense.
The problem is that Domi hasn't been doing anything of worth lately. He has just six points and three goals on the season, with a minus-11 rating. He's averaging just 13:08 of average total ice time, over a minute fewer than the 14:10 he clocked in at last season.
What's worse? At even strength, Domi has been on the ice for just nine goals, for an on-ice shooting percentage of just 6.7. And his on-ice save percentage isn't much better, checking in at just 84.6 percent, as he has watched 20 goals go into the Maple Leafs' net.
Right now, Leafs fans have every right to be angry at Domi. His only consistency has been a consistently bad game overall. Now that he's costing the Leafs the game against a manageable opponent like the Blue Jackets, Domi should be one of the first players general manager Brad Treliving considers moving if he starts picking up the phone or if other front offices start inquiring.
If a player isn't performing, the Maple Leafs should move on
Fans in Toronto have got to be on edge with the situation here. They have been a relevant team for going on a decade, yet they have two playoff series wins to show for it. Now that they have a team that's 0.500 in points, it's the first sign that the championship window could be closing, even if injuries to key players are a reason for the team's struggles.
But that also means players like Domi, who have been in the league since the 2015-16 season, need to pull their weight around. It would be one thing if the Leafs were a young team and a few star players were missing time with injuries, but that's not the case. There is a lot of experience on this team.
It makes the situation surrounding Domi even worse. He needs to play a smarter game and give more effort than he did when Adam Fantilli caught that pass from Werenski to score the game-winner. If not, then his days as a full-time player for the Maple Leafs need to be numbered. There is too much urgency in Toronto for Domi to be turning the puck over at such an alarming rate.