The maximum also occurs when the slope of the tangent of the circle (x-2)^2 + (y-2)^2 = 4 is equal to the slop of the tangent of the circle x^2 + y^2 = r^2, for some r. This also gives the point of minimum distance. You can see why this is so because if at a point the two slopes were different, the circles would intersect so there are some points on the circle in question outside of the circle centred at the origin.
for the circle at the origin:
2x + 2y. dy/dx = 0
dy/dy = -x/y
for the circle in question:
2(x-2) + 2(y-2).dy/dx = 0
dy/dx = -(x-2)/(y-2)
therefore -x/y = -(x-2)/(y-2)
x/y = (x-2)/(y-2)
but this condition says that the lines joining thesolution point to the origin and (2,2) must have the same slope. This occurs only the line passes through both the origin and (2,2). The the solution points are the intersection of this line through (2,2) , being y=x, and the circle. thus (x-2)^2 + (x-2)^2 = 4
(x-2)^2 = 2
x-2 = +/- sqrt2
x = 2 +/- sqrt2 => y = 2 +/- sqrt 2
This gives the solutions for the nearest (2-sqrt2,2-sqrt2) and furthest (2+sqrt2,2+sqrt2)points from the origin.