Toronto Maple Leafs X-Factor for Playoffs Success Identified
The Toronto Maple Leafs need all the help they can get come the postseason, but if one forward can keep the pace he's on, they'll be in much better hands.
If the Leafs to have success come playoff time, it's going to take a full team effort from top to bottom, as the team can't solely rely on the Core Four and need some help from names like Nick Robertson, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann, and Max Domi.
Speaking of the latter, he's picked things up as of recently.
With four points in his last five games including a stellar game against Calgary where he had two points, a plus-3 rating, and won 80% of his face-offs. It's the type of game that fans expect from a player making $5M a season, and it's a great sign of things to come.
Head coach Craig Berube is certainly aware of Domi's emergence as of late, and had some very kind words for his veteran forward:
Domi's game has gone to another level. He's way more aggressive. He's being the player 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.
Max Domi Turning Things Around At The Right Time
'Chief' isn't wrong when he's praising Domi as it's been night and day from the Domi of old. He had a 16-game pointless streak at the beginning of the year, but hasn't had a streak like that since, with his worst drought being a three game stretch.
His teammates have noticed him picking things up too, as captain Auston Matthews also had some high praise for his teammate:
He's just had so much bounce & energy, and he just makes so many plays. I still get amazed sometimes when he goes to make a pass that I'm not sure where he's trying to pass it to, and then it just ends up on somebody's tape.
This season hasn't been his best admittedly, but he has put together a 28 point campaign (6G, 22A), which compared to other seasons isn't impressive, but in contrast to the start of the year; it's respectable all things considered.
Max Domi picked things up at the perfect time, and the only thing that remains to be seen is if he can keep it up consistently, or a flash in the pan like several times before.
| POLL | ||
MARS 20 | 427 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs X-Factor for Playoffs Success Identified Should the Maple Leafs give Max Domi more offensive opportunities during the playoffs if he's hot? | ||
| Yes | 376 | 88.1 % |
| No | 51 | 11.9 % |
| List of polls | ||