The Toronto Maple Leafs stayed alive with a 2-0 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 6 on Friday night, but the status of forward Matthew Knies remains uncertain heading into the decisive Game 7.
Knies took a reverse hit from Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola late in the first period and appeared in discomfort afterward.
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Though he continued to play, Knies logged only 13:01 of ice time and looked limited, favoring his left side on the bench.
After the game, head coach Craig Berube addressed Knies’ condition but admitted he didn’t know the extent of the injury yet.
“We don’t know right now. I wouldn’t know the answer to that question right now,” Berube said. “He is dealing with something that happened, and we have to look at him and see how he is feeling tomorrow.
“We will see how he is.”
Berube explained that his decision to reduce Knies’ minutes as the game progressed following the hit was based on real-time conversations during the game.
“It was just based on conversations with him,” Berube said. “I used him in situational play, more than anything, down the stretch there.
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“If he was good to go or if he wasn’t good to go, it was more a sense of me talking to him on the bench and understanding where he was at, at the time.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies (23) carries the puck against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Knies has five goals and seven points in 12 games this postseason and has played an increasingly important role for Toronto, lining up alongside team captain Auston Matthews and star winger Mitch Marner in the Maple Lefas’ top line.
As Toronto’s second-most prolific goal scorer this playoffs, Knies’ availability could be crucial for Game 7. The series finale will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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