Senators head coach Travis Green praises Leafs’ Max Domi following OT winner

With the OT marker, Domi officially has his first game-winning playoff goal as a Leaf, his first overall since 2022 with the Carolina Hurricanes. Given the stakes, it’s no wonder Green is unhappy for his success for once.

Green played 181 games across two stints with the Maple Leafs, most notably for two full seasons from 2001-2003. Along with Tie Domi, he was part of the 2002 Leafs group that took down the Senators in seven games in the conference semifinals before losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Hurricanes.

Despite the loss, Ottawa’s head coach is sticking by his team, saying they accomplished their game plan even if they didn’t get the result they wanted.

“We talked earlier today that we had to play better,” Green said. “I really like the way we played tonight, big step for our group.”

Green added that since playoff hockey is new for a lot of his roster, it’s their first experience of overtime in the postseason, and losing in it, something they’ll be carrying with them moving forward. He also highlighted Ottawa’s attack as a standout from the game, while crediting Toronto’s blue line.

“We spent a lot of time in their zone, give their team credit, they blocked a lot of shots,” Green said. “To play a road game like that was very encouraging for our team, now we need to play a little better next game.”

Toronto now holds a 2-0 lead, as the series shifts to Ottawa, where the Senators will desperately try to use the home ice to their advantage. Game 3 takes place Thursday at 7 pm.