TORONTO — Matthew Knies walked slowly to the Maple Leafs bench looking dazed, shaken and confused. Surrounding the new Leafs winger, thousands of fans were equally (and audibly) confused and screaming in concern at how Panthers center Sam Bennett escaped punishment from the umpires.
Seconds earlier, Bennett had grabbed Knies from behind the Panthers’ net, wrapped his right arm around Knie’s head, landed a quick punch, slammed his back against the boards and then – in a manner reminiscent of Dwayne Johnson and his patented Rock Bottom Late 90s – unnecessarily threw him onto the ice with the same right arm.
When Knies finally made it onto the bench, he immediately removed his helmet, catching the attention of the team’s chief sports therapist, Paul Ayotte, and wide-eyed. He may have seen his strong start to his NHL career falter over time.
Knies did not return to the game after the first break. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t provide an update, but he didn’t address concerns about his future status.
“He didn’t finish the game, so that’s not a positive,” Keefe said after the Leafs lost 3-2 in Game 2.
Keefe was hesitant about Bennett’s takedown, only to say, “The league is going to look at this.”
In a quiet Leafs locker room after the game, the team’s veterans voiced their concerns about Bennett’s play against their young teammate.
“We would have liked to have seen a penalty,” said Ryan O’Reilly.
“I obviously didn’t love it,” said Leafs captain John Tavares of the game.
He wasn’t alone.
In Game 2, Bennett became Public Enemy #1 in Toronto. When his face was shown on the big screen at Scotiabank Arena after his cross-checking penalty against Michael Bunting in the second half, Bennett set off a rousing chorus of boos from the supporters of the Leafs.
“I think he tried to hit me and jumped out of the way,” Bennett said of the game with Knies. “He was tied there in my arm. That’s pretty much it.”
A member of the team thanked Bennett for answering questions, but a follow-up question was thrown at the reporters’ group before the player could leave. Bennett was asked about his countercheck against Leafs forward Bunting late in the second half, where he appeared to make contact with the side of his opponent’s head. Florida was leading 3-2 at this point, and Bennett was given a two-minute counter sample for the game.
“I’m sure the cross check at Bunting is eerily similar to what we saw at Auston in the outdoor game,” Keefe said, referring to Auston Matthews, who was suspended for two games in March 2022. after the Leafs forward Buffalo Sabers counter-checked defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. “We know how that worked out.”
Speaking in the guest’s dressing room after the game, he offered remorse for that second play on the countercheck, which was caught.
“I mean, I can’t take that penalty there,” said Bennett. “Go to his shoulder. I’m just trying to get him out of the way. It rides up and catches him a little. That’s one I’d definitely like to take back.”
A few yards away, closer to the center of the room, Panthers defenseman Marc Staal was asked about the game on Knies.
“I didn’t see what you’re talking about,” Staal said. “I mean, Benny, he’s a competitive guy. He plays boldly and finishes checks.
“I think we’ve been on the other side of the ledger enough,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said a few minutes later from the podium in the media room down the hall.
Maurice wasn’t shy in believing his team was being over-punished.
“We only accepted that we’ll be in the penalty area more often than our opponents because it’s been like that for the last eight games. We’re just going to tell (goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky) to get plenty of sleep,” Maurice said after Game 1. “We need to turn it on its head a bit to earn a reputation for being the right men. We can accept that.”
That reputation is now in question after Bennett defeated Knies.
The Panthers were asked about their physical game, which carried over from their surprise first-round win over the Bruins. Florida experienced what Maurice has often referred to as a “heavy” game that has become a rallying point in the room. “We’re not just running around like animals right now,” said Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. “We’re just trying to play with our identities.” He was asked if he saw the game behind his net with Bennett and Knies and if he thought it all might get the attention of NHL player safety: “Uh, me don’t think he’ll hear about player security.”
Leafs’ next availability will come on Friday afternoon, when another update on Knies’ status could come.
Knies underwent physical stress during his first 10 games in the NHL. Above all, Panthers defender Radko Gudas made Knies a target in the first two games of the second round series.
Should Knies miss at least Game 3, it would be a significant loss for the Leafs. Though only 20 years old, Knies looked more like a seasoned pro in his 10 NHL games after signing his entry-level contract with the University of Minnesota on April 9. Beginning his NHL career with three meaningless games late in the regular season, Knies’ strong puck-handling skills, ability to play through contact and create scoring chances with a powerful shot, and willingness to drive into the net, all of this has been carried over to the pro game.
When he came into the Leafs’ lineup in Game 2 against Tampa Bay with Bunting’s suspension, Knies’ rapid rise continued. His skillful play of the puck along the wall helped the Leafs build sustained offensive pressure, especially before Tavares’ overtime, the series-winning goal in Game 6 against Tampa.
He became one of the Leafs’ more consistent forwards in the first round, and a sustained sense of composure allowed him to be on the ice for all three of their overtime goals in the first round.
Questions about his ability to stay afloat in the NHL disappeared when he scored his first goal in Game 1 and Keefe himself called Knies a player who “can make a difference.”
Should the crucial rookie not be available, Keefe will have to make decisions.
The somewhat unconventional decision to mix up his lineup and take on Tampa Bay with 11 forwards and seven defenders in Game 6 raised many eyebrows, but Keefe’s decision was eventually justified with a decisive win. Erik Gustafsson only played 7:38 as the seventh defender in Game 6, but he didn’t look out of place either. Keefe could also use a changing lineup as an opportunity to bring Justin Holl back into the series as part of a seven-defender rotation and rebuild his confidence.
If Keefe wants to stick with 12 forwards, the easiest option, at least on paper, would be to add Zach Aston-Reese back to the lineup after he logged just 6:21 in Game 1 and was left out of the Game 2 lineup. Perhaps Keefe goes back to a fourth line of Aston-Reese, David Kampf and Sam Lafferty. It’s a line he was a fan late in the regular season. At best, the line brings the kind of energy that allows them to force turnovers in the offensive zone and lift off the ice. But against Tampa Bay, that energy slowed, and when offense was the priority, that line could only score three points. Keefe last used this line in Game 5 against Tampa Bay.
Would that sense of familiarity be enough for Keefe to return to that line and hope that her energy and foresight can force a suspect Panther defense to make mistakes on her own end?
That option could see Alex Kerfoot (rightly so) moving back up the lineup after scoring in Game 2 against the Panthers. Or Kerfoot could stay in the fourth line to attack the line a bit.
What if the continued physicality the Panthers love to display on the show makes Keefe look at people like Wayne Simmonds a little differently? The 34-year-old last played on April 8, making just six appearances in the final three months of the regular season. If Keefe wants to be an early-game accent on the street but sacrifices some speed and offense, wonder if Simmonds will become a more intriguing option for Game 3.
Maybe Keefe will use the two days off between games to consider a nuclear option, like calling a Marlie. Bobby McMann started training this week after suffering another knee injury in March.
However, as many options as Keefe seems to have, none of them are likely to have the positive impact on gameplay and goalscoring as Knies.
In a series where the Leafs were already hot on their heels — at times with a high-octane and physical opposition that quickly took home field advantage away from them — the loss of Knies could have created an even bigger hill for them to climb if they were going for game 3 travel to Florida.
(Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)