TORONTO — Every player has one of those. Once the opponent’s peak is seen, it will inspire different sparks, penetrate deeper, and make people’s blood boil.
For young power forward Matthew Knicks in practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs, there’s no doubt about it — Knicks has scored 10 points in seven regular-season games against Tampa Bay on Monday. The Chargers are in last place. The only team where the 22-year-old was able to score in double figures.
Under the lights of Scotiabank Arena on Monday night, Usain Bolt’s killer struck again.
Just four minutes into the game, Kniss received an assist on the first goal of the game, a deft pass in the neutral zone that allowed Auston Matthews to sprint unhindered toward the Chargers’ cage. . But it wasn’t until late in the second quarter that the young winger really made his presence known.
After nearly 40 minutes of ice-sloping sequences on Toronto’s top line, the pressure on the trio finally disappeared as the second intermission approached.
Knies and Matthews, two Arizona State products, received the ball in the neutral zone before Mitch Marner eventually threaded the puck through a pile of white jerseys to a streaking Knies, who fired the puck into the net. , so much so that the stick of the nearest Bolt defender flew out. Flying in the air.
Some time later, Knis struck again, this time on a Maple Leafs power play, serving at the net, collecting a spot-up rebound and beating Tampa’s Jonas Johansson with a backhand forehand.
“Kennis, for me, he’s been pushing,” head coach Craig Berube said after the final buzzer, which the Maple Leafs won 5-3, Kniss’ second win in the game. “He’s really playing a power forward type of game right now, in my opinion, which really helps that.”
“He’s got a little bit of everything,” added netminder Joseph Woll, who won for the third consecutive time inside the cage. “He’s a very skilled player and when he uses his size it’s a great combination – it’s really hard to stop.”
It’s been a breakout season for Kniss, who has shown promise since he entered the Maple Leafs lineup two years ago — in a playoff game against the Bolts. He has scored a career-high 18 goals this season, but Monday’s performance left him with just a handful of career-high points left with nearly half the season to go.
While his club will certainly embrace the increased production, it’s the overall growth and polished approach that will impress the young power forward’s teammates the most.
“He took a huge step,” said William Nylander, who scored Toronto’s second goal of the night. “I mean, he’s scoring huge goals — making big plays on the ice, in front, on the break. He’s grown a lot and become a great player.”
“I think it’s his confidence,” Auston Matthews added, saying it’s the biggest step he’s seen the Knicks take this season. “He’s a big guy with such great skills. The more experience he has, the better he’s going to be – I think, the more comfortable he gets in his own body. You’re on a line, individually, with each other The more reps in between, the more you can build up that chemistry.
“He’s been a strength for us all season.”
He feels the same way himself — more reps, more comfort, and now, more leverage.
“You know, the first time I got here, I was obviously getting used to bigger, stronger players,” Kniss said in the locker room late Monday night, reflecting on his early rotation at the site. “Getting that experience, playing against these guys, training with some of our guys, it helped me a lot.”
So did the arrival of a new head coach, whose hard-nosed north-south style seemed tailor-made for Knis’ heavy, ruthless style.
“I think he obviously wants us to play a simple and fast game, and that’s really my style of play,” Kniss said. “I just try to play for him and learn as much as I can from him.”
Still, there were some growing pains here and there. After five games, Knis’ performance has declined – somewhat offsetting a brief period of dominance in the first five games – and nights like this, against this special team, also go a long way. Helps get the best out of him.
“It’s good,” Kniss said of the feeling of winning a third straight win over the Bolts, especially after what has been a roller-coaster January so far. “I feel like there’s some competition between our two teams — when we play, it always feels like a mini playoff series.
“So, it’s good for us to get this win and keep the confidence.”
