Max Domi makes his thoughts on facing 'big rivals' Boston Bruins extremely clear following last season's playoff exit

By Evan Bell

Modified Nov 05, 2024 19:43 GMT

On Tuesday night, Max Domi and the Toronto Maple Leafs will face off against the Boston Bruins in a highly anticipated rematch from last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given the history between the two teams, the game is expected to be a high-intensity affair, and with Auston Matthews on the bench, Domi is expected to start in his place on Craig Berube's first line.

Much like last season, the two teams are neck-and-neck in the Atlantic Division. Last year, Boston finished in second place in the divisional rankings with 109 points, while Toronto finished third with 102 points. This season, the teams are flipped, with Toronto sitting just ahead of Boston.

Following Tuesday's morning skate, Max Domi spoke with reporters and explained that the beef between the two teams doesn't just go back to last year.

“I think the last 100 years have spilled over, so it doesn’t matter," Domi said. "From game to game, season to season, it’s all kind of the same. They’re big rivals of ours, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Heading into the game, the Maple Leafs are slight favorites on most major US sportsbooks. On FanDuel, Toronto is a -122 favorite, while Boston is a +102 underdog.

Looking ahead at tonight's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins as Max Domi prepares to start in place of Auston Matthews

After losing two straight to start the month of November, the Toronto Maple Leafs will look to get back in the win column at home against their rivals, the Boston Bruins. On top of the history between the two teams and last season's seven-game playoff series, the Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 26.

The loss marked the third straight for the Maple Leafs, bringing their record at the time to 4-4-1. Toronto bounced back with two straight wins against the Jets and the Kraken before losing its last two outings to bring its record to 6-5-1.

On the other hand, since the two teams last faced each other, Boston lost two straight, falling to the Flyers and the Hurricanes, before bouncing back with shutout wins in their two most recent games.

While the absence of Auston Matthews could play a major role in how the game plays out, Domi will have a chance to step up in a big way for his team. So far this season, Domi has logged six assists and recorded a plus/minus of two.

Although Max Domi hasn't found the back of the net yet this season, that could change with some added playing time against the Bruins.