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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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The Maple Leafs held a media availability at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon. 

Nick Abruzzese played alongside Matthew Knies at the Olympics and couldn't help but be impressed. 

"Really skilled and kind of a moose on the ice," said the Harvard product, who will make his NHL debut with the Leafs on Saturday night. "Physically, he's kind of a freak. We had some good chemistry at the Olympics. It was good getting to know him. He's an incredible player."

Knies, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds, scored a goal and added an assist in four games with Team USA in Beijing. The University of Minnesota freshman has been a point-a-game player in the NCAA. 

"He's three years younger than me, but he makes me look like a boy," said Abruzzese, 22. "He's just explosive and is really strong on pucks and athletically is really gifted.”

Knies may follow Abruzzese to the Leafs once his college campaign ends. The Golden Gophers will be playing for a title at the Frozen Four next week in Boston.

TSN spoke to Knies about his development this season, learning from fellow Arizona native Auston Matthews and whether he's ready to turn pro. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation. 

TSN: Where has your game grown the most this season?

Knies: "My physicality. I've used my size really well. [I'm] able to use my strength to my advantage and protect the puck well and use my body. That's what made me a successful player this year: understanding my strengths and using them well." 

TSN: What led to the improvement in this department?   

Knies: "Working with our trainers this year, with [strength and conditioning coach] Cal Dietz, and our coaches, I've gained a lot of strength. With more experience with my size, you know, I can kind of dominate the play and just keep using it to my advantage, taking it to the net and things like that. I think that's when my game's the strongest."

TSN: Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas says he doesn't want to put any pressure on you to sign, but he has left a contract slot open in case you're ready to turn pro. Do you think you're ready for that next step?

Knies: "My size is obviously there. I think I have the strength. I'm ready to jump. But, I'm not really focused on it. I'm heading to some of the biggest games of my life. I just want to make sure we get as far as possible and that I can give my team the best chance to win. Whatever comes [after], I can sit down and talk with my parents and discuss it with people who know me best."

 

TSN: What's it mean to play in the Frozen Four? 

Knies: "It's pretty surreal. It's a wonderful feeling. We're really excited. I was happy that our seniors and older players could get a chance at the Frozen Four. We're all really pumped. It's a huge honour."

TSN: How do you sum up the college experience?

Knies: "It's hard to put into words. It's been incredibly fun. We have a really good group of guys this year, a lot of older guys that I've learned from. It's just been wonderful. It's definitely fun being a regular student and also being an athlete. I'm having a great time. I really enjoyed my time." 

TSN: Being from Phoenix, have you been following Matthews this season? 

Knies: "I saw he scored his 50th goal so congratulations to him. That's a really big accomplishment and Arizona hockey is really proud of him. I've been following along here and there. I got to see a few games. Just really happy for him." 

TSN: UMass coach Greg Carvel said you looked like Matthews when you scored against them last week. Do you take anything from Auston? 

Knies: "I've watched him growing up, since I was really little, and would always try to mimic what he does and try and follow the kind of plays he makes. So, the more I can take from his game and add it into mine I think the better I become. I don't think I looked anything like him (smile), but I try to be like him and try to be a goal-scoring player like he is."

TSN: What do you remember most about the Olympic experience? 

Knies: "There's a lot of things. It was a huge honour to play for the US, first off, and to play against teams like Canada and Slovakia was obviously huge. Justin Abdelkader was there and having him around the locker room and getting to know him was big for me, a younger guy, who is kind of getting into the pro-hockey standards. I learned a lot about what it takes to become a pro player and how to play that style." 

TSN: What's the No. 1 thing that stood out about Abdelkader? 

Knies: "How good of a person he was off the ice. How much respect he treated our trainers [with], our equipment managers, our coaches. He was a really good leader and I took that upon myself and wanted to add that when I came back here to Minnesota. He was a really wonderful guy to get to know and I'm really happy he came." 

TSN: You've dealt with a lot of pressure situations this year. What do you do well to handle that?

Knies: "I just breathe and skate and play back to the simpleness of the game. Tell myself to skate, shoot, pass, hit, just simplify my game. Don't play out of my role. I think that's what takes the pressure off .... That's what I focus on, really, is just to simplify my game." 

TSN: What do you think about the World Juniors being re-scheduled for this summer? 

Knies: "I'm really excited. That was one fun tournament and it was kind of heartbreaking that I got to know all those guys and then it was kind of snatched away from us. So, to get another opportunity at it and to play with those players again is definitely going to be really fun. I'm just really glad they could figure it out and re-schedule it and we could do this again and try and win it all over again." 

TSN: You're not worried about the compressed off-season? 

Knies: "It's going to be a little bit different, obviously, trying to get off the legs a little bit after the season and trying to get some training in. It's definitely going to be much more difficult than it was during the year, but I think they'll put together a camp or something to make sure we're in shape and ready to go as a team." 

 

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After winning three straight emotional games against Florida, Boston and Winnipeg, the Leafs will look to avoid a letdown against a non-playoff opponent in Philadelphia. At times this season, Toronto has played down to its opposition and squandered points.

What's Sheldon Keefe sensing from the group? 

"Don't have a great sense," the coach said. "It's a bit of a strange day for us. We don't come to the rink. The building wasn't available to us with the basketball [Philadelphia 76ers] game going on. We spent time at the hotel today so that, in itself, is a different routine for our guys, which sometimes is a good thing. We've talked about focusing on our game and playing well and not focusing on the opponent."

The Flyers have lost four of their last five games and sit 29th in the overall standings. 

"It hasn't gone as well for us in these types of games against these types of opponents," Keefe acknowledged. "A lot of it is the opponent plays well. We're expecting this Philly team [to be good] coming back on home ice today. They are 4-0-1 in their last five games in this building and we're expecting them to play a good game with lots of energy and our guys have to be prepared to go and execute the way we have in recent games."

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After experiencing a three-game dry spell, Toronto's top-ranked power play is back on track.  

"It has taken some time, but I think the guys have found a nice groove there to get the puck to the net," said Keefe. "There are some pieces on the breakout and the entries that we have had to adjust to. There has been a lot more pressure there. Some of it is teams adjusting to us, and some of it is the way the schedule has gone and the teams that we have played and the styles of their penalty kills. That in and of itself has given us something the guys have had to adapt to."

The Leafs have scored a man-advantage marker in four straight games, converting on seven of 14 chances during this hot stretch. 

"Some teams have really aggressive up-ice pressure," Keefe continued. "Some teams back off the line. Some teams hold the line. Some teams stab at you. Sometimes it is the forward holding the line. Sometimes it is the D. There are all sorts of things happening there that you have to adjust to. The guys have done a good job of that recently."

The Flyers rank 25th (75.4 per cent) in penalty killing this season. 

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Projected Leafs lines for Saturday's game: 

Bunting - Matthews - Marner 
Mikheyev - Tavares - Kerfoot 
Nylander - Kampf - Engvall 
Abruzzese - Blackwell - Simmonds 

Rielly - Lyubushkin 
Brodie - Holl 
Giordano - Liljegren 

Campbell starts 
Kallgren