Leafs Nation holds their breath as Matthew Knies hurt during playoff game
With Sheldon Keefe revealing that Auston Matthews is and has been playing hurt much of the season, Leaf fans experienced a bit of "deja vu" during the University of Minnesota and Michigan State game last night in NCAA action. Top prospect Matthew Knies, who is the front-runner for the Hobey Baker Award, took a cross-check up high and appeared to be favouring his arm and ribs.
The play occurred while Minnesota was on a powerplay and Knies was battling in front for position. After taking the shot, he was hunched over similar to how Matthews was hunched over after being crosschecked by Jamie Benn at the start of the season and missed a couple of games from it. Like Matthews, Knies did finish his shift and remained on the ice until the puck was frozen.
It's really anyone's guess how this injury might impact Knies' ability to play as we move forward. The 20-year-old was expected to sign with the Leafs at the end of the Frozen Four Tournament and join them for the last couple of regular season games. An injury at this stage of the game could potentially derail those plans. Hopefully whatever he's dealing with is minor and that he can shake it off and avoid any time on the shelf. With this being an important tournament for Knies and the University of Minnesota, it wouldn't be surprising to see him battle and play through an injury if he thinks he's able to help his team.
Knies has 40 points in 35 games this season for the Gophers.
| POLL | ||
MARS 12 | 373 ANSWERS Leafs Nation holds their breath as Matthew Knies hurt during playoff game Will Knies' injury impact his ability to sign with the Leafs and play in the Playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 100 | 26.8 % |
| No | 190 | 50.9 % |
| It won't matter - this team is so deep now | 83 | 22.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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