Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies 'just scratching the surface' in comeback win

TAMPA — Almost every time Matthew Knies' skates touch Amalie Arena ice, something significant happens in his hockey journey.

Last spring, his beloved Minnesota Golden Gophers lost an excruciating overtime to the Quinnipiac Bobcats in the NCAA championship game, ending Knies's college days in gutting fashion.

Yet following a misery-loves-company plane ride home with his fellow Gophers, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect collected himself, signed his entry-level contract, and jetted right back to Florida, registering his first NHL point in, yep, Amalie.

It was in this same barn that Knies would put up his first playoff point and celebrate his first playoff series victory, jumping on the radar with a mature-beyond-his-years support performance in the Leafs' six-game upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Saturday marked yet another memorable overtime night in Amalie for Knies, as the rookie ripped his first regular-season NHL goal, swiftly echoed by his second, two third-period beauties fuelling Toronto's dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over their fierce rival.

"I mean, it's nice, but it's also not nice," Knies said, standing in the bowels of his most familiar road barn. "It's hard for me to come in here and relive some of those memories, but it's nice to keep changing them with better memories. So, that's what I think I did here tonight."

For Knies' Maple Leafs, there was much worth remembering from their stubborn claw back from an early 3-1 deficit to not only salvage a point from an Atlantic Division foe but to complete the effort with a deja vu John Tavares OT winner.

For the Lightning, Toronto's happy memories are a recurring nightmare.

"Watched that movie before against these guys," Tampa coach Jon Cooper said postgame. "They played the whole 60 minutes plus, and we didn't.

"Toronto played with that desperation throughout the third, and clearly we did not."

That desperation — Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe pulled starting goalie Ilya Samsonov, shortened his bench, and formed a super line of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander — yielded a pair of superb rush passes from Max Domi to the tape of Knies, who beat a dialled-in Jonas Johansson high twice.

Right where he was told to aim.

"Max had a hell of a game, made a couple great plays, and Kniesy finishing them off. Obviously, you see the touch and the soft hands and his ability to pick the corners," said Tavares, Knies' landlord.

"We talked about trying to get the puck up throughout the night. And he was able to do that, especially on the second one, which is not an easy play there. So, to be able to do that in one motion is impressive."

Both Knies and Domi had been quieted offensively through Toronto's first four games. Questions about which linemates they should be placed with and how much ice time they were seeing (not much) had bubbled early.

So it was fitting that the two slow starters leaned on each other in one of Keefe's Frankenlines to strike some gold and earn a dose of confidence.

"[Domi] sees the ice really well," Knies said. "He has incredible sauce that can kind of pass by three, four sticks and land right on your tape. So, it's pretty incredible to watch. It's really fun to play with him."

The love is reciprocal.

Domi on Knies: "He's a great player. He's mature. He's a big strong kid that hangs onto the puck. He's got a lot of speed, a lot of size, goes to those dirty areas in front of the net. And he can score. I mean, you saw that tonight. Heckuva hockey player and even better kid, so I'm super happy for him."

Keefe credited both Knies and the stellar Joseph Woll — who stopped all 29 shots he saw in relief — for their even-keel nature. The coach noted that Knies refused to get down on himself as he waited for his first goal, that he stayed ready for his moment.

"Man, he plays hard," Woll added. "He is always buzzing around the rink and throws the body around a little bit, but at the same time he plays with a lot of skill. And, you know, I'm excited to see him really find his game — that mix between being a hard power forward and a very skilled guy, so it'll be cool to see him over his career."

Hopes for the sturdy left winger are lofty in Leafland. Considering the importance of entry-level contributors in the cap era and the fact that the organization has traded away so many recent draft picks, it needs blue-chippers like Knies to make an impact.

To find the net and lead the rally in a big game like this.

"It just gives me a little bit more confidence," Knies said. "The chances were there earlier in the season, but they just weren't clicking, weren't executing a little bit. So it was nice to kind of get that on the board."

Knies walked out of Amalie Arena Saturday night with the Maple Leafs' player-of-the-game championship belt and one more fond milestone to associate with the place.

"We know what his potential is and the impact that he can make. And, you know, he's just scratching the surface," Tavares said.

"We're excited for what he's brought to the team thus far — and what's ahead for him."

Fox's Fast Five

• Unusual that Steven Stamkos was not made available to reporters Friday or Saturday in advance of the game. The Markham, Ont., native has traditionally been a go-to interview for these Lightning-Leafs showdowns.

Stamkos made headlines at the top of the season, when he spoke to his disappointment at the absence of contract negotiations in the final season of his deal.

"Honestly, had that not come up, I probably wouldn't have even known it existed. That's how it is in the room. Everybody in our locker room is pretty team-oriented, focused. Steven's the leader of that group, and the concerns he has, it's never come up in our room — not with me anyway — and I've been with these guys a long time. It hasn't affected him because his play has been great," Cooper says.

Stamkos hasn't missed a beat since last year's 84-point showing, piling up six points in four games. 

"He has proved it. He has played great," Victor Hedman says. "That (contract) stuff will take care of itself. All we can focus on are the games at hand. And, yes, he has been through a lot in his career, and this doesn't bother us one bit, what is going on."

• Nikita Kucherov's three-point first period gives the star at least one point in 13 of his past 14 regular-season games against Toronto (11-9–20).

Nylander and Tavares became just the second set of Leafs teammates in the past 30 years to begin the season with five-game point streaks.

• Decent showing by Pontus Holmberg's first trial centring Noah Gregor and Ryan Reaves on the fourth line. In limited even-strength usage, that unit outshot the Lightning 5-1.

"Holmberg gave the fourth line a lot tonight," said Keefe, who only rolled three lines late while pressing to tie. "Those guys were good. I just lost them with some of the special teams and then just playing from behind.

Prospect Fraser Minten served his first healthy scratch. If he does return to the WHL's Kamloops Blazers this month, the 19-year-old is expected to be captain.

• Meanwhile, back in Toronto...

Nick Robertson has jumped to a hot start in the AHL, putting up five points and ripping 12 shots in the Marlies' first three games. The winger was not, however, Toronto's first callup. That opportunity went to centre Holmberg.

“I’m being more patient than ever. I just worry about playing now, worry about tomorrow. I know my opportunity is going to come, and I know I’m going to be ready,” Robertson told Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.

“I’m getting double the minutes. I’m playing as a top guy, as a guy they lean on to use my shot and my playmaking abilities. The more touches, the more reps, stuff is going to go my way. I just want to keep doing that.”

• What does Mikhail Sergachev remember about his group's first-round series against the Leafs?

"Probably that we lost and (had) a long summer. So, yeah, that's probably what they feel every year."

Zing.