Matthew Knies scores his first NHL goal

Young American Matthew Knies made his National Hockey League debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the very end of the season.

A product of the University of Minnesota, Knies picked up his first NHL point on April 11, in the Leafs’ penultimate game of the season.

He didn’t play in the first duel of the playoffs, but Kyle Dubas inserted him into the lineup afterwards, and it seems to be paying off.

In the first round, Knies collected three assists in five games.

Tuesday evening saw the first game of the second-round series between Toronto and the Florida Panthers.

The Phoenix native chose the perfect moment to score his first goal of the show.

He put his team on the score sheet for the first time in the game with a beautiful maneuver in front of the goalie.

Just an epic way to score your first NHL goal 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/vgSzJ3zJj9

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 3, 2023

This was a very important goal in the course of the match, as Toronto started the game badly.

Indeed, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Nick Cousins and Sam Bennett. Matthew Tkachuk continues to impress in this series, collecting his 12th and 13th points of the spring dance.

Knies’ goal cut the deficit to one, and the Leafs briefly gained momentum afterwards. Michael Bunting tied it with his first of the playoffs.

At the time of writing, Florida had regained the lead with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, making it 3-2 at the second intermission.

Let’s hope for Knies’ sake (and that of the Canadian-owned Panthers) that he can continue his dream series with a double or more.

In gusto

– Tkachuk continues to haunt opponents with his physical play.

– Many believe that Matthew Beniers should have been a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.

– That’s one way of looking at it.

Stat of the Day: #LeafsForever haven’t lost a game in Round 2 in over 19 years

– The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 3, 2023

– A fine 14-season career comes to an end.

À VOIR | Quebec goalie has no illusions: it’s probably over 😔 https://t.co/haYWL0VPzp

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 2, 2023