Leafs' Knies to make playoff debut in Game 2 vs. Lightning
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Rookie winger Matthew Knies will make his NHL playoff debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Thursday.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Knies will play on the third line with in-season trade adds Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari. He enters the lineup in place of Michael Bunting, who received a three-game suspension on Wednesday for his hit to the head of Erik Cernak in Game 1.
“I don’t think there’s any pressure on him," Keefe said of Knies. "He’s not expected to come in here and save the world.”
Knies signed with the Maple Leafs earlier this month after completing his second season at the University of Minnesota. He had one assist in three regular season games with Toronto.
Selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Knies had 21 goals and 42 points in 40 games with Minnesota this season.
Bunting, 27, is scheduled to have a hearing later on Wednesday after receiving a match penalty for a hit to the head in the Maple Leafs' 7-3 loss to open the series. He had 23 goals and 49 points in 82 games during the regular season.
Keefe confirmed on Wednesday that Ilya Samsonov will remain the team's starting goaltender for Game 2.
The 26-year-old, who was 27-10-5 in the regular season, allowed six goals on 29 shots in Tuesday's Game 1 loss.
“Samsonov is going in net for sure."
Following Thursday's Game 2, the series will head to Tampa Bay Lightning with Game 3 taking place Saturday.