SUNRISE, Fla. — After a whirlwind 72 hours or so, Matthew Knies could be forgiven for not having a strong NHL debut.
Following what he called a “devastating” loss in overtime of the NCAA Championship final Saturday with the University of Minnesota, the Leafs’ best prospect wanted to be beside his Golden Gopher teammates on a flight from Tampa, where the Frozen Four was being held, back to Minnesota late Saturday evening. After listening to the opinions of those close to him, Knies signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs and then boarded a flight returning to Florida on Sunday to begin life as a pro with various medical tests. He still had tests to complete before his debut against the Florida Panthers, meaning the only moments he had to rest before the game were by himself in a car, shuttling from appointment to appointment. He fielded texts from friends and former coaches telling him not to be afraid, not to shy away and to trust his instincts. Knies has yet to get a practice or a morning skate in.
“I couldn’t take my mind off having my debut. It was pretty chaotic,” Knies said.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe pulled Knies aside for a brief conversation before warmups only to recognize Knies was still having conversations with doctors.
“You can’t just show up and play in the NHL. There’s a lot of hoops to jump through in terms of the medical process that is normally done in training camp. He had to go through all that sort of stuff today and travel a good distance to get it done as well,” Keefe said. “Not an easy day for him.”
So, yeah, it didn’t feel like just any debut for another Leafs prospect. And the fact that the Leafs likely had to sign and dress an amateur goalie as a backup just to wedge their 2021 second-round pick and Hobey Baker Award finalist into the lineup for a few games only heightened anticipation around his debut. That the Leafs were so insistent on getting Knies into the lineup speaks to the interest they may have in getting him enough playing time so he feels comfortable in the playoffs.
In the minutes before his first media availability as a Leaf, Knies was still getting instructions from staff members on the postgame process among other team activities that need to be completed. He tapped a coffee cup with a Leafs logo on it as the adrenaline continued to flow through him in that aforementioned media availability.
But all along Monday, as he walked through a completely unfamiliar rink, meeting dozens of people he never would have met before, he did so with a smile on his face and his chest puffed out. Monday’s tight 2-1 overtime win over the Florida Panthers had the look and feel of a playoff game, with the Panthers desperate for a win to clinch a spot in the postseason.
That’s why it felt slightly risky putting Knies on the ice for his NHL debut in a game of this kind of intensity. Keefe would have understood the risks, too. But after the win, it was hard to detect a trace of concern from Keefe about Knies’ aforementioned instincts he displayed in an energetic NHL debut.
“To see (Knies) in the NHL, in what was really a playoff-calibre game tonight, in terms of intensity and competitiveness and urgency of every play, to see it live, he looked like a guy who was comfortable despite clearly not being comfortable,” Keefe said.
So, after Knies’ first game resembled a playoff game, did his debut present any indication of whether he can make a difference in what could be a franchise-altering series against the Tampa Bay Lightning beginning next week?
Leading into his debut, Maple Leafs assistant GM of player development Hayley Wickenheiser felt his game at the college level looked like a pro game “because he plays in a lot of straight lines and he imposes his will physically all over the ice.”
While the development staff wanted him to continue to improve his speed and use crossovers to find different areas of the ice, it was that physicality that the Leafs were impressed by. Against the Panthers, he showed glimpses of that physicality. It’s that kind of play that will be necessary for Knies to crack the Leafs’ playoff lineup.
It took Knies some time to get into the game. His first shift was on the second power-play unit and saw him make one quick pass, nothing more.
But it was on his shift when he won a puck battle along the wall against Marc Staal that he truly showed the kind of moxie that could make a difference against Tampa Bay: He used his frame and his hands behind the net and didn’t back down, maintaining possession against a bona fide NHL veteran.
That shift seemed to earn some trust from Keefe: Late in the first period, Knies was sent over the boards for a shift with Auston Matthews and the Leafs had a shot ring off the post. He was then double-shifted on his regular line, where he, again, used his stick in an effective manner.
All in all, Knies logged 13:09 TOI, good for ninth among the Leafs’ 11 forwards. He had one shift on the team’s second power-play unit, no shots on goal and just 31 five-on-five percent expected goals. Though, it’s worth noting that every Leafs forward outside of the three on the top line were below 50 percent expected goals.
Big picture, playing for the majority of the game alongside Noel Acciari and Alex Kerfoot, it felt like it was the little plays Knies made that stuck out in the absence of any scoring opportunities.
“I thought the pace didn’t faze (Knies) at all,” Keefe said.
It felt like Knies was more mobile than anticipated, circling the neutral zone and looking for open ice to call for a pass from the Leafs defencemen. His agility with his stick was impressive, as he batted down a puck to maintain possession.
Again, it goes without saying that Knies was playing in his first NHL game and it’s difficult to make sweeping assumptions about his future off one game. But in the short term, it’s clear Knies can win pucks in battles. The swagger that is necessary for any NHL rookie to show was evident when Knies willingly got on his horse and took on challenges along the boards.
His shift midway through the second period, in which he struggled to maintain control of the puck in the defensive zone ahead of two Panthers shots on goal, is one he’d probably like to forget. Knies has the skill to keep the puck on his stick, manoeuvre around the opposition and make deft, short passes. Those kinds of plays might lead to scoring chances if he’s lining up alongside skilled players who can read and anticipate his movement. But his ability to get that control quickly is a work in progress. These are the kind of turnovers in the defensive zone that could be the difference in a playoff series.
And they’re the kind of turnovers that may cause Keefe to tighten his leash on his newest player.
Samsonov bails Knies out after his pass is picked up
“He made some smart plays with the puck. There were a couple of mistakes out there, but some mistakes are good because you can learn through that and adjust your game, which he did,” Keefe said.
Panthers centre Nick Cousins exposed Knies’ lack of foot speed as he barrelled by the rookie midway through the second period, easily gaining the offensive zone. If Knies is going to use his hefty frame to neutralize the opposition, he’s going to have to pick his spots more effectively. How well he can read an NHL game, which he did in fits and spurts against the Panthers, could go a long way to keeping him in a lineup against Tampa Bay.
Knies’ size is evident: He sustained a hit from heavy Panthers defenceman Radko Gudas and kept his footing while Gudas took a tumble. By the same token, his welcome to the NHL moment might have come late in the second period when he took a heavy hit behind the Panthers goal from Aaron Ekblad. On that note, Knies took his fair share of heavy hits, but he stayed composed, a sign of the confidence he would need in the postseason.
In the third period, Knies’ ice time dwindled to just five shifts and 3:48, the lowest of his three periods. But Knies won plenty of pats on the back from the Leafs bench after blocking a shot early in the third period as the Panthers were starting to grow more comfortable in the offensive zone.
Knies spent time on the bench listening to Matthews, the same person he leaned on for advice as to whether he should sign with the Leafs in 2022.
“It’s special to share the ice with him. I looked up to him. He was a big influence on my career so getting to sit next to him and take it all in, take notes, it’s been really fun so far,” Knies said.
It’s plays like that block, which aren’t exactly in Knies’ wheelhouse, that could end up making him more of a factor in Keefe’s playoff lineup decision-making. There is an evident awareness from Knies about what he needs to do to improve in a short amount of time.
“It’s a pretty big step,” Knies said of the jump from the NCAA to the NHL. “Guys are a lot heavier, a lot faster. It’s a big adjustment. But the more games I can get under me, the more I can get adjusted to the speed. My awareness would get a bit better.”
He’s got two more games in the regular season to do just that. But for now, after his NHL debut, he looked like he belonged, inspired confidence about his short-term future, and won praise from some of the people who matter most.
“We’re trying to do something special here,” Matthews said. “We believe (Knies) can come in and help us.”
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
