<p>Auston Matthews&#8217; return to the Toronto Maple Leafs&#8217; lineup was always going to have profound effects throughout the lineup, but the greatest beneficiary is Matthew Knies. Knies exploded for his first career-hat trick alongside Matthews in a dominant five-point performance, leading the Maple Leafs to a <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-matthews-knies-1st-career-hat-trick-powers-toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins">6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins.</a></p>
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<p>The 22-year-old winger started the year on fire, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/how-matthew-knies-has-emerged-genuine-breakout-star-for-maple-leafs">using his unique combination of speed, size and physicality</a> to great effect and appeared to be one of the NHL&#8217;s genuine breakout stars during the first quarter of the season. Knies suffered an injury during a November 20 contest against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a high hit from Zach Whitecloud, and it took him a while to get to the basics that he made look so simple in the early stages of the 2024-25 campaign.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think there was a little bit missing,&#8221; Knies admitted post-game. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I was as direct, as physical. I kind of lacked shooting from my game. I think there were some bounces that didn&#8217;t go my way, we move past it, that&#8217;s hockey, fortunately it&#8217;s going my way now,&#8221;</p>
<p>Matthews commands a gravity effect which allows for his teammates to benefit from greater space and timing. Knies took full advantage, submitting the best game of his career, with three goals and two assists against a vaunted rival.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty incredible what he can do to our team, and the energy that he can bring. He makes players around him better, and that&#8217;s what he showed tonight,&#8221; Knies said of Matthews post-game.</p>
<p>Bruins captain Brad Marchand spoke at length about Matthews&#8217; game and the opportunities it creates for the rest of the Maple Leafs. It may have been prophetic, much to Marchand&#8217;s chagrin, against a team that he declared as the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/boston-bruins-brad-marchand-toronto-maple-leafs-biggest-rival-raves-about-core-four-more">Bruins&#8217; greatest rival</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;He’s such a dangerous player at all times of the game,&#8221; Marchand said of Matthews following the Bruins&#8217; morning skate. &#8220;He can change the game over the course of a shift in a play where you think it’s enough of a play. Obviously, one of, if not, the best goal-scorer in the league. It definitely changes the dynamic of their team when he’s out of the lineup, but the thing with them is that they have so many weapons and they’re playing a great brand of hockey right now. Whether he’s in or out, they’re going to be a very tough team to play against regardless. He’s a huge scoring threat when he’s in the lineup.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;But the way they’re playing right now, the way they’re competing through the lineup, whether it’s (Bobby) McMann. Matthew Knies, he’s had a good season. Obviously (Mitch) Marner is playing out of his mind, so you add all that up. (John) Tavares is having a great year and (William) Nylander, there’s so many weapons, it doesn’t matter if he’s in or out, you have your hands full with that team.&#8221;</p>
<p>Knies was relentless in his approach to the game. During his first goal, Knies was hit in the face by Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov — which the referees clearly missed or ignored — continued skating, and re-directed a Matthews shot from inside the offensive zone past Jeremy Swayman for his first goal of the game. Knies led all Leafs with four shots after two periods, neatly foreshadowing the best period of his NHL career.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">KNIESY ARE YA KIDDING!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/Xz5W2IUn7f">pic.twitter.com/Xz5W2IUn7f</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875713582903468239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Knies scored a sensational goal for his second on the evening, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead. He raced up the ice, cutting through the middle with John Tavares on the wall, swooped around Bruins defenceman Brandon Carlo, who couldn&#8217;t cleanly bat away Tavares&#8217; pass, then beat Jeremy Swayman with a sensational tuck, turning his back to the net. Knies was clearly elated and Scotiabank Arena roared in approval.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">MATTHEW. KNIES. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!! <a href="https://t.co/0i0tu73Ts8">pic.twitter.com/0i0tu73Ts8</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875727193705202083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Knies&#8217; third goal was the direct result of some excellent work in tandem with Matthews. There was much consternation about Matthews&#8217; ability to engage in physical play, but he constantly won puck battles against the Bruins, and he outmuscled Charlie McAvoy for the puck, with the game tied at 3-3. Matthews gathered himself and found Knies, who made no mistake on a one-timed release, then wheeled away for a much-deserved celebration. It was the crowning moment of the best performance of his career, and a clear punctuation that Matthews — whether at <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/load-management-could-be-key-to-auston-matthews-peaking-at-right-time-for-leafs">full strength or not</a> — is functioning like a world-beating superstar.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HATTY FOR MATTY!!! <a href="https://t.co/E6KT21EmBH">pic.twitter.com/E6KT21EmBH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875728380210942308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m happy for him,&#8221; Matthews said of Knies with a smile post-game. &#8220;He played awesome and got rewarded for a great game, all-around, both ends of the ice. I think tonight he really showed the potential that he has. He&#8217;s just going to continue to get better and he&#8217;s a big part of our team. This was a huge game tonight, it&#8217;s a big confidence boost for him.&#8221;</p>
<p>Matthews looked great during the morning skate, ripping a shot off the cross-bar in a line rush with Knies and Marner and it clearly translated against the Bruins. Toronto would be wise to manage his minutes entering the second half of the year — the Leafs are a legitimate playoff team without Matthews, but they are a genuine contender for the Stanley Cup with him creating chances. And that is something that head coach Craig Berube will be tasked with managing. For one night, Knies was the greatest beneficiary of Matthews coming back into the lineup, authoring a five-point evening during a night that naturally invited historical reflection — Matthews and Marner were both named to the Maple Leafs&#8217; quarter-century team prior to the game, a distinction that Marner only learned about in the post-game scrum.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">VERY KNIES!!!! <a href="https://t.co/FuoYBCMlnw">pic.twitter.com/FuoYBCMlnw</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875748276517138786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>It was an outstanding performance from Toronto&#8217;s top line, that will remain intact as long as Matthews remains healthy throughout the second half of the year. Knies, Matthews and Marner posted 13 points cumulatively, and it&#8217;s clear that the 22-year-old emerging power forward is emboldened to unlock the best qualities of his game when he has time to read and react. It was an electric performance that could inform the second half of the Maple Leafs&#8217; season.</p>
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Auston Matthews' return to the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup was always going to have profound effects throughout the lineup, but the greatest beneficiary is Matthew Knies. Knies exploded for his first career-hat trick alongside Matthews in a dominant five-point performance, leading the Maple Leafs to a <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-matthews-knies-1st-career-hat-trick-powers-toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins">6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins.</a>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
The 22-year-old winger started the year on fire, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/how-matthew-knies-has-emerged-genuine-breakout-star-for-maple-leafs">using his unique combination of speed, size and physicality</a> to great effect and appeared to be one of the NHL's genuine breakout stars during the first quarter of the season. Knies suffered an injury during a November 20 contest against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a high hit from Zach Whitecloud, and it took him a while to get to the basics that he made look so simple in the early stages of the 2024-25 campaign.

"I think there was a little bit missing," Knies admitted post-game. "I don't think I was as direct, as physical. I kind of lacked shooting from my game. I think there were some bounces that didn't go my way, we move past it, that's hockey, fortunately it's going my way now,"

Matthews commands a gravity effect which allows for his teammates to benefit from greater space and timing. Knies took full advantage, submitting the best game of his career, with three goals and two assists against a vaunted rival.

"It's pretty incredible what he can do to our team, and the energy that he can bring. He makes players around him better, and that's what he showed tonight," Knies said of Matthews post-game.

Bruins captain Brad Marchand spoke at length about Matthews' game and the opportunities it creates for the rest of the Maple Leafs. It may have been prophetic, much to Marchand's chagrin, against a team that he declared as the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/boston-bruins-brad-marchand-toronto-maple-leafs-biggest-rival-raves-about-core-four-more">Bruins' greatest rival</a>.

"He’s such a dangerous player at all times of the game," Marchand said of Matthews following the Bruins' morning skate. "He can change the game over the course of a shift in a play where you think it’s enough of a play. Obviously, one of, if not, the best goal-scorer in the league. It definitely changes the dynamic of their team when he’s out of the lineup, but the thing with them is that they have so many weapons and they’re playing a great brand of hockey right now. Whether he’s in or out, they’re going to be a very tough team to play against regardless. He’s a huge scoring threat when he’s in the lineup."

"But the way they’re playing right now, the way they’re competing through the lineup, whether it’s (Bobby) McMann. Matthew Knies, he’s had a good season. Obviously (Mitch) Marner is playing out of his mind, so you add all that up. (John) Tavares is having a great year and (William) Nylander, there’s so many weapons, it doesn’t matter if he’s in or out, you have your hands full with that team."

Knies was relentless in his approach to the game. During his first goal, Knies was hit in the face by Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov — which the referees clearly missed or ignored — continued skating, and re-directed a Matthews shot from inside the offensive zone past Jeremy Swayman for his first goal of the game. Knies led all Leafs with four shots after two periods, neatly foreshadowing the best period of his NHL career.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875713582903468239

Knies scored a sensational goal for his second on the evening, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead. He raced up the ice, cutting through the middle with John Tavares on the wall, swooped around Bruins defenceman Brandon Carlo, who couldn't cleanly bat away Tavares' pass, then beat Jeremy Swayman with a sensational tuck, turning his back to the net. Knies was clearly elated and Scotiabank Arena roared in approval.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875727193705202083

Knies' third goal was the direct result of some excellent work in tandem with Matthews. There was much consternation about Matthews' ability to engage in physical play, but he constantly won puck battles against the Bruins, and he outmuscled Charlie McAvoy for the puck, with the game tied at 3-3. Matthews gathered himself and found Knies, who made no mistake on a one-timed release, then wheeled away for a much-deserved celebration. It was the crowning moment of the best performance of his career, and a clear punctuation that Matthews — whether at <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/load-management-could-be-key-to-auston-matthews-peaking-at-right-time-for-leafs">full strength or not</a> — is functioning like a world-beating superstar.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875728380210942308

"I'm happy for him," Matthews said of Knies with a smile post-game. "He played awesome and got rewarded for a great game, all-around, both ends of the ice. I think tonight he really showed the potential that he has. He's just going to continue to get better and he's a big part of our team. This was a huge game tonight, it's a big confidence boost for him."

Matthews looked great during the morning skate, ripping a shot off the cross-bar in a line rush with Knies and Marner and it clearly translated against the Bruins. Toronto would be wise to manage his minutes entering the second half of the year — the Leafs are a legitimate playoff team without Matthews, but they are a genuine contender for the Stanley Cup with him creating chances. And that is something that head coach Craig Berube will be tasked with managing. For one night, Knies was the greatest beneficiary of Matthews coming back into the lineup, authoring a five-point evening during a night that naturally invited historical reflection — Matthews and Marner were both named to the Maple Leafs' quarter-century team prior to the game, a distinction that Marner only learned about in the post-game scrum.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1875748276517138786

It was an outstanding performance from Toronto's top line, that will remain intact as long as Matthews remains healthy throughout the second half of the year. Knies, Matthews and Marner posted 13 points cumulatively, and it's clear that the 22-year-old emerging power forward is emboldened to unlock the best qualities of his game when he has time to read and react. It was an electric performance that could inform the second half of the Maple Leafs' season.
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Matthew Knies is the greatest beneficiary from Auston Matthews’ return

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