Injury details and return timeline announced for Matthew Knies
Sam Bennet is a dirty hockey player. Period. I'm all for some rough stuff in the playoffs, but when it comes to non hockey plays that have a clear intent to injure, there's a line that shouldn't be crossed. Bennett was fined by the DoPS today, a whopping $5,000, for cross-checking Michael Bunting in the neck, then the spine during last night's game. He received nothing, not even a 2 minute minor, for what can only be described as a sucker punch followed by some sort of on ice wrestling move on Matthew Knies. Knies left the game and didn't return. Sheldon Keefe didn't have an update after the final buzzer sounded.
The Panthers were clearly gunning for the rookie, in the first period, as Matthew Tkachuk caught him with a nasty jumping elbow to the head, which was called for a minor penalty.
The severity of the Bennett's play really needs two angles. The first clearly shows Bennett driving Knies' head into the glass, then the ice.
The second angle, from above, shows the sucker punch that was hidden from view on the first angle.
Speaking on a zoom call today, Keefe offered an update. Matthew Knies has a concussion and will miss 2 games at the very least, and likely the rest of what we hope will be a 6 or 7-game series. Brain injuries are always difficult to put a timeline on and there is a real danger in trying to play through them. A second impact before the first injury is healed can lead to permanent damage.
As much as the Leafs need Knies on the ice, he's 20 years old. He has a lot of years ahead of him and he absolutely needs to consider his long term health. The kid has a bright future in the NHL. As for Bennett, I sincerely hope someone on the Leafs takes it upon themselves to leave him with a very, very large dental bill after the next game. He deserves it for targeting a 20-year-old rookie in such a cowardly manner.
| POLL | ||
MAI 5 | 689 ANSWERS Injury details and return timeline announced for Matthew Knies How many games would a competent DoPS have suspended Bennett for? | ||
| 2 | 199 | 28.9 % |
| 3 | 291 | 42.2 % |
| 4 | 61 | 8.9 % |
| 5 | 138 | 20 % |
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