Leafs rookie Matthew Knies rocked by huge hit in the neutral zone in his NHL debut
Matthew Knies' first NHL game happened faster than anyone was really anticipating. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, the plan wasn't to have him play against the Florida Panthers, but an unexpected injury to Sam Lafferty opened the door for Knies to play right away - an opportunity that Keefe wasn't about to deny him.
Knies looked pretty good in his debut, considering the fact that he just signed his ELC on Sunday and didn't have a chance to practice with the team before making his first NHL appearance and while he certainly wasn't a liability, there were some mistakes - all expected for a new NHLer, of course. One such mistake was getting caught admiring his pass. Givani Smith reminded him why keeping your feet moving and being aware of your surroundings is important with a massive hit in the neutral zone.
Knies was no worse for the wear following the hit, popping back up to his feet, but then again, he's a big boy in his own right, standing 6'3 and 210 lbs. As far as whether strength will be an issue for him at this level, it's not likely. Just check out this sequence where he outworks Marc Staal along the wall, behind the Panthers' net.
All in all, a pretty successful Leafs debut for Knies in Florida. I'm eager to see what he can do once he begins to get a little more comfortable and has some time to skate with his teammates.
