"I'd take a regular hit & he'd fight" - Patrick Kane acknowledges Max Domi's loyalty and friendship despite brief time together

By ARJUN B

Modified Apr 14, 2024 02:53 GMT

Ahead of the Saturday matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, Patrick Kane fondly recalled his former teammate Max Domi's unwavering loyalty during their brief time together on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Domi played for the Blackhawks between July 2022 to March 2023. Meanwhile, Kane spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks before joining New York Rangers in February 2023. As reported by TSN's Mark Masters, Kane acknowledged Domi's tendency to defend him no matter how routine the hit.

"There'd be times I'd take a regular hit & he'd fight. I'd be like, 'Dude, it's just a normal hit. You don't have to fight.' He loves his teammates," Patrick Kane said.

Despite only playing together for a short period, Patrick Kane feels he's forged a lifelong friendship with Domi thanks to the latter's selfless, protective nature on the ice.

"Played with him for a short time but feel like I have a friend for life," Kane remarked.

One particular incident that demonstrated Domi's dedication to Patrick Kane was during a Blackhawks game against the Minnesota Wild in 2022. When Kane was tripped up, Domi immediately jumped in to stand up for his teammate, earning himself a penalty in the process.

The Red Wings won the game in overtime 5-4.

Red Wings’ 5-4 overtime win against the Maple Leafs keeps playoff hopes alive

The Detroit Red Wings took a crucial step toward securing a playoff spot with a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Dylan Larkin scored the game-winning goal in overtime to keep Detroit's postseason dreams alive.

Heading into the matchup, the stakes were high for the Red Wings. With wins earlier in the day by fellow playoff contenders Washington and Philadelphia, Detroit needed at least one point against Toronto to stay in contention.

It turned into a back-and-forth offensive shootout between the two Original Six rivals. Toronto struck first with a goal by Mitch Marner, but Detroit responded with four unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead in the latter half of the first period.

Alex DeBrincat netted two goals, while Simon Edvinsson and David Perron also scored for the Red Wings.

The Maple Leafs mounted a comeback in the second period with goals from Nicholas Robertson and Auston Matthews to cut Detroit's lead to 4-3. Matthews marks his 69th goal of the season.

John Tavares then tied the game at 4 late in the second period to set up a tense third frame.

The Red Wings were able to kill off a late Toronto power play despite Patrick Kane taking a high-sticking penalty with just over two minutes remaining. The game went to overtime knotted at 4-4 but quickly swung Detroit's way when the Maple Leafs took a penalty 10 seconds into the extra session.

With a man advantage, Larkin ripped a shot past Toronto's goalie just 40 seconds into overtime to clinch the crucial extra point for Detroit.