On Thursday the Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against the New Jersey Devils. During the game Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews found himself in a shoving match with Devils rookie Simon Nemec. After the two separated Max Domi came over to defend Auston Matthews.
Since the incident involving the three players many fans have wondered what went on to cause that situation. Today several Maple Leafs players including Auston Matthews and Max Domi spoke about the events of that night.
First up was Max Domi who was asked what he saw that made him get involved. He says he saw what was happening to Auston Matthews and was not a fan of it.
"To be honest, like, the corner of my eye I just saw Auston & whoever the other guy on Jersey was battling & wasn't a fan of that so went over."
As for Auston Matthews, he says that this is just what Max Domi is all about. He confirmed that Max Domi is a top-tier teammate and he appreciated the action.
"That's what he's all about. He's a team-first guy & he's always going to stick up for his teammates. I didn't think he had to do that, but obviously he felt the need to & I'm always appreciative of guys standing up for one another & myself as well."
The final comments on the whole ordeal come from Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner. He says he was not surprised about Max Domi's actions and this type of thing goes all the way back to when they were in London together.
"[Domi] scared the s—t out of me when I was in London when I was rookie. Someone was messing around there with Domes a little too much & you screw around & you find out sometimes"
Max Domi's actions during this game have set the Toronto Maple Leafs up to have a new dynamic heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. In past years a physical player willing to stick up for others who has skill was not a part of the Maple Leafs lineup. As the playoffs begin it will be fun to see if this new dynamic can push the team over the edge.
