The Toronto Maple Leafs have often been branded a team that is much easier than most to play against. A lot of this has been due to their apprehension to get involved in the fight, allowing themselves to be easily pushed around. Well, that hasn't been the case this season, especially in recent weeks.
Case in point, last night's game against the Arizona Coyotes. There was a point during the game where Sean Durzi took it upon himself to go after William Nylander following a Leafs scoring chance. After Durzi gave Nylander a shove, not only did Nylander himself take a hack and a swipe at Durzi, but Max Domi came right over and began to jostle Durzi, grabbing him by the collar and delivering a few shots to remind him that a player like Nylander is untouchable out there.
This is the brand of hockey you love to see from the Leafs. These are the types of situations that are going to arise on a frequent basis in the playoffs and it's reassuring to know that when these types of events do occur, the Leafs won't back down. In fact, they may be the aggressors in these exchanges.
For Domi and Bertuzzi, the impact has not been felt the way anyone had anticipated on the scoresheet, but these were not guys who were brought in to be regular season workhorses, these are guys who were brought in with the playoffs in mind. Something tells me they're going to deliver when the games really begin to matter.
