Domi's two points came in the back half of Toronto's lopsided win over the Penguins.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube scratched Max Domi on Friday against the Washington Capitals, and the day following, the forward responded.
Domi hadn't had the best start to the year. He only had six points in his first 24 games of the season. Making a lofty $3.75 million, the Maple Leafs needed more out of him. So, they sat him out for a game, the first time it's occurred in Toronto since he joined the club in 2023.
Ahead of Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wanted to see Domi more engaged in the play, something that hasn't been visible much early this year. "It's more about pace with him," Berube added.
Domi was fairly involved against the Penguins, tallying two assists in Toronto's 7-2 win, their first in regulation since Nov. 5 against the Utah Mammoth.
The 30-year-old's first helper came just over midway through the second period on a great feed to Nicolas Roy during a Maple Leafs power play. Domi went deep into Pittsburgh's zone to retrieve the puck and, as Tristan Jarry overcommitted, the Toronto forward fed Roy in front for the easy goal.
That's the type of play that has made Domi an effective player all these years in the NHL.
Just over three minutes after the Penguins' second goal of the game, Domi received the puck at his own blue line and bolted up the ice. As the forward entered Pittsburgh's zone, he dropped the puck to a trailing Matthews, who beat Jarry to put the Maple Leafs up 6-2.
"I thought Max was a lot better tonight," Berube said after Toronto's win.
"Made some nice plays, but he was engaged in the game, just on some forechecks, taking the body, winning the puck battle, just defensively working back to our zone, breaking plays up. He was good."
Berube scratched Domi — like he's done with a few other players in the bottom-half Maple Leafs' lineup — and it worked. This was Domi's first multi-point game since his two-goal performance on Oct. 28 against the Calgary Flames.
"I mean, two nice plays on those goals," said William Nylander, "that's what happens when you get scratched. You come back with maybe a little bit more fire. He did a great job."
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Domi, however, wasn't interested in discussing the healthy scratch after the win against the Penguins.
"Not going to answer anything about that," he said. "That's behind us now, so we'll focus on the win tonight, it was huge, and go from there."
This was the type of game Berube was hoping for from Domi, Matthews, and Matthew Knies, a trio that he's put together several times, going back to when he came up with the idea ahead of training camp. Domi brings the speed and playmaking. Knies has the strength. Matthews has the scoring touch.
Really, though, all three of them do.
"I think as a line, we played good," Domi said. "Created a lot. Obviously, Auston had a big goal there. Had a lot of good looks in the O-zone, so yeah."
Whether or not this win sparked something in the team, there'll be one message from Berube following the game: Play like this every night, and you have a chance for success against any team.
"It's confidence," Berube said.
"They're going to feel good about themselves, and that's good. We've just got to build off it. We've got to keep getting better, though. There's things that we can do better, and we've got to keep working on it. That's all part of it.
"But I really like the way we moved the puck tonight better. We possessed the puck more tonight, which is good."
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