The Toronto Maple Leafs could possibly be and not using a top-line winger of their must-win matchup towards the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Matthew Knies has been dubbed questionable with an undisclosed harm, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic, after taking part in simply 13 minutes in Friday night time’s win. Knies didn’t play within the last seven minutes of Recreation 6 and gave the impression to be nursing his shoulder by way of his last few shifts.
Dropping Knies can be a major blow for the Maple Leafs on the worst time. The 22-year-old winger has locked in a job on Toronto’s prime line and prime powerplay unit over the yr’s second half. He’s tied for second on the staff with 5 objectives and ranks third amongst Leafs forwards in common ice time in 12 video games this postseason. The efficiency has come on the heels of a breakout yr in the course of the common season. Knies scored 58 factors, cut up evenly, in 78 video games this season, whereas changing on 19.1 % of his photographs. He additionally ranked second amongst Toronto forwards with 182 hits. The efficiency was a significant stride ahead from the 15 objectives and 35 factors he managed final yr, and earned Knies as a lot as 24 minutes of ice time by way of factors within the yr.
Filling Knies’ sneakers must be a gaggle effort for Toronto. His absence would possible push Nicholas Robertson again into the staff’s bottom-six, after he served as a wholesome scratch for Recreation 6, regardless of scoring the Leafs’ sole objective in Recreation 5. It’d additionally push Max Pacioretty additional up the lineup and into an upgraded powerplay position, rewarding his eight factors in 10 postseason appearances. However in a must-win recreation, boosting two slight-frame wingers possible wouldn’t make up for Knies’ imposing bodily presence. That would spark extra ice time for a bruiser like Steven Lorentz, or push Toronto to lean heavier on the hard-nosed play of a star like William Nylander. The shift in technique and method with these strikes will make Knies’ match readiness one of many league’s prime storylines as Monday’s decisive matchup looms.
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