Max Domi Bluntly Addresses Maple Leafs-Panthers Fight Fest

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Max Domi Bluntly Addresses Maple Leafs-Panthers Fight Fest

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Mar 14, 2025 6:45 AM ET

Max Domi’s physicality and energy stood out in the Toronto Maple Leafs' matchup against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, but even his best effort couldn’t push the team past the Atlantic Division leaders.

Early in the first period, Domi delivered a hard open-ice hit on Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe, knocking the forward off balance. Just a few seconds after that, Verhaeghe's teammate Nate Schmidt stepped in, confronting Domi and dropping the gloves mid-ice.

Domi responded with a flurry of punches, landing multiple clean shots before the officials separated them, with the Leafs forward earning a clear victory—and a trip to the penalty box.

“Nothing was really said, but I figured it's a big hit on one of their big players, so I wasn't sure it would end up coming, but I just kind of reacted,” Domi said. “I think it was a big hit.

”It's part of the game. I think I might have caught him a little bit on the way down. Obviously, I don't like doing that, but it definitely wasn't my intention.

”I got a lot of respect for him, so yeah, Schmitty hung in there, and it's a part of the game.”

Max Domi lays a hit on Carter Verhaeghe, and then Nate Schmidt steps into to defend his teammate! pic.twitter.com/igkrWNceFA
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 13, 2025

With the Leafs trailing 3-1 in the third period, Domi took a feed from Calle Jarnkrok off a Panthers line change and beat an otherwise historic Sergei Bobrovsky with a quick shot, pulling Toronto within a goal.

“Great play by Jarny,” Domi said. “Bob's a hell of a goalie, so sometimes you just gotta throw it on net and get lucky with it.”

Domi, playing in the first year of a four-year, $15 million contract, has 26 points in 57 games this season. He finished Thursday's loss with 15:23 over 23 shifts while he notched his fifth goal of the season.

The forward fell just an assist short of pulling off the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick—scoring, assisting, and fighting in the same game.

“(He) had a heck of a game, in my opinion. Big hit, fight, scored a goal,” head coach Craig Berube said. “He was skating and working.”

“Yeah, he had a great game,” William Nylander said. “Fires everybody up.”

The 3-2 loss extended Florida’s lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division to four points, with the Maple Leafs sitting at 81 points and the Panthers having 85 in one more game played.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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