‘He's a Pit Bull With Some Nice Hands’: How Matthew Knies Continues To Evolve Into Playoff Difference-Maker For Maple Leafs

Matthew Knies is only 22 years old, but he’s not playing like it on the NHL’s biggest stage in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

After the Florida Panthers had clawed back from a 4-1 deficit with two quick goals early in the third period, cutting the lead to one in Game 1 of the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club needed someone to step up. With six minutes to go, Knies was the player who gave the Leafs some breathing room with an insurance goal – his fourth of the postseason – which proved to be the game-winner. 

Linemate Mitch Marner won a puck battle along the wall in the Leafs’ end, poking the puck free to Knies. From there, the 6-foot-3, 227-pound forward was off to the races on a breakaway against Sergei Bobrovsky.

Knies sold the forehand, flipped the puck to his backhand, and lifted it over the glove, restoring the Leafs’ two-goal cushion and eventually sealing a 5-4 victory with his second breakaway goal of the playoffs.

“I just saw that I could spring myself past their D, and Mitchie made a great play on the wall there to get it to me. I just wanted to beat him high on the glove side,” said Knies post-game.

Knies now has four goals on six breakaway opportunities this season (regular season and playoffs combined), according to Sportsnet Stats. The goal was similar to the one he scored on April 2nd – also with Bobrovsky in the crease – where Marner fed him on a stretch pass, and Knies again beat the veteran netminder, again going forehand-backhand, but that time along the ice for another game-winner.

“I think we did a lot of video, and I thought that I got him earlier in the regular season. I just wanted to elevate that one. It worked out for me,” Knies explained.

But it’s not just the ability to finish that’s catching the attention of fans, teammates, and coaches. It’s how Knies is seamlessly making these plays in high-pressure moments and how much he’s grown in just his second full NHL season. Given his size and playstyle as a power forward, the Phoenix, AZ., native has elite hands in-tight – an underrated aspect of his game.

“Somebody asked me, what are you most impressed by with Knies?” said head coach Craig Berube. “He’s got great hands in tight. And I didn’t know this coming in here. You see the power in his skating and the physicality and that sort of stuff, but the hands are really good in tight. And that was a great example of it tonight with the goal we scored.”

The forward has quickly become one of Toronto’s most reliable forwards this postseason, not just with goals, but with execution, physical play, and a mature approach for his age. 

He continues to impress.

Knies’ Game-Winner Gives Maple Leafs 1-0 Series Lead Over PanthersWith a 5-4 win on Monday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs take a 1-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers.

Through seven playoff games, he has five points (4G, 1A), including a secondary assist on Chris Tanev’s goal in the second period to go along with his own tally in a strong Game 1 performance.

“He’s a tremendous player. He’s a pit bull out there with some nice hands,” Tanev said of Knies. “When he seems to get half a step on guys, it’s tough for anyone to catch him. So, I guess he’s done a bit of everything for us at a very high level of play. It’s been huge for us.”

Goaltender Joseph Woll, who’s built a close relationship with Knies, has witnessed the evolution of the up-and-coming forward firsthand.

“He’s a special player, man. He’s a horse,” said Woll after Monday’s win. “You guys see him on the forecheck. He’s got a lot of skill, and he shows it. He’s pretty special. I think he’s got a lot of maturity. He shows that. I think he’s pretty unfazed by all of that. He just goes out and does his job. He doesn’t try to be someone that he’s not. He plays to his strength as much as he can.”

Knies had a career year offensively, posting highs in goals (29), assists (29), and points (58) in 78 regular-season games, taking a step from his freshman campaign with the organization. He found a rhythm on Toronto’s top line and increasingly showed flashes of the high-ceiling power forward the Leafs envisioned when they drafted him in the second round back in 2021.

As the season progressed, his confidence with the puck grew, and so did his impact.

“I think he’s letting his skill come out more, and you guys are seeing that. Obviously, he’s had a great year,” added Woll. “He puts the puck in the net and makes plays and is a menace on the forecheck.”

If his trajectory is any indication, he may only be scratching the surface of what’s to come, especially the possibilities in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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