Matthew Knies Impresses With Shorthanded Goal In Maple Leafs Victory Over Bruins
Driven by a highlight-reel individual effort from Matthew Knies and a display of physical pushback, the Maple Leafs overcame early penalty trouble to secure their most complete victory in a while over the Bruins.
BOSTON — The Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in familiar territory early Tuesday night, digging a hole with three penalties in the opening 25 minutes against the Boston Bruins. Despite trailing 1-0 after the first period and facing early trouble in the middle frame, the Leafs found a spark from a familiar source in Matthew Knies . The turning point arrived when Knies flexed his size in the neutral zone, wrestling the puck away from Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei before breaking free for a shorthanded breakaway.
Knies beat Jeremy Swayman to knot the game at 1-1, an individual effort that served as the catalyst for one of the Leafs’ most complete performances in recent memory. Following the 4-2 victory, his teammates were quick to praise the rare blend of attributes the sophomore forward brings to the lineup. “It always just impresses you when he pulls it off,” captain John Tavares said of Knies’ highlight-reel goal.
“His ability to just be so strong and just how physically mature he is, he’s a beast. He’s a very unique player at his age to have that type of strength, and then after that to have the soft hands and the poise and touch to score a beauty like that. He’s got a nice package as a player.
We’re obviously very lucky to have him. ” The shorthanded marker was Knies’ 19th of the campaign, and he later added an empty-netter to reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time. With 59 points in 69 games, the Arizona native continues to set new career highs across the board.