How Blackhawks’ Max Domi has turned into one of NHL’s faceoff leaders
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How Domi has turned into one of NHL’s faceoff leaders originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Max Domi was drafted as a center with the No. 12 overall pick in 2013 and has played there for the majority of his NHL career, but he’s never been a great faceoff guy. That is, until this season.
Not only has he improved his numbers at the faceoff circle, but he’s near the top of the league as the calendar flips to November. He has 96 wins and 49 losses for a win percentage of 66.4, which is by far the highest number of his career.
Domi’s career faceoff win percentage going into the season was 46.6. That’s a significant improvement, and he quickly credited Blackhawks player development coach Yanic Perreault as one of the reasons why. Perreault is statistically the NHL’s best faceoff man of all time.
“When you have someone like Yanic that helps you out — one of the best ever, if not the best ever — gives you little tips here and there about playing a position,” Domi said. “It’s a whole game within the game, and some of it is mental but a lot of it’s pretty simple stuff, just positioning, where to put your stick and whatnot. He’s helped a lot with me personally.”
It also helps when Jonathan Toews is on the roster and can assist from his perspective. Toews is one of the league leaders this season in faceoff win percentage as well at 62.9 percent with 110 wins and 65 losses, and he has been one of the best at the dot since he arrived in the NHL.
“He’s probably the best, I mean, one of the best top three for sure, in the last decade or so,” Domi said. “He knows how to win faceoffs, and he’s helping us all over I’m sure too, so that helps a lot. And then you look at two wingers that jump in and help you out too, that makes a big difference as well.”
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was an assistant coach in Montreal when Domi was there, and he didn’t see this kind of production from the dot there.
“Max is skyrocketing in the circle from what I saw in Montreal,”…
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Source : yahoo
