Ah, it seems like just last week I had written an article on the back end of Matthew Knies’ five-game pointless streak, talking about how it was too early to hit the panic button about the 22-year-old’s lack of production over that stretch. Oh, yeah, that’s because it was. And, surprise! The game after that article was published, he notched his first-ever hat trick en route to a five-point performance against the Boston Bruins. It’s not often that I’ll victory lap one of my takes only a week after publishing it, but in this case, the timing was too comical. If you missed it, feel free to check out the piece here.

In two games since that piece was published, Knies has six points, with an additional goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday to complement his five-point performance on Saturday. Not only was that five-point game arguably the best game of his career to date, but it was also one of the prettiest hat tricks by a Maple Leaf since 2013 when Nazem Kadri scored a hat trick against the New York Islanders. If you know about that one, you know.

Knies kicked things off with somewhat of an impossible tip-in off of a rapid Auston Matthews shot, and it was one of those plays that you have to truly anticipate Matthews’ next move to pull off. The chemistry between the two Arizona natives has gotten better and better each year and this goal was a perfect example of it.

Next came arguably the nicest goal of the three, and instead of describing it to you, I’ll let Knies do the work.

There’s so much to like about this goal, between the strong forecheck, the out-muscling of the Bruins defender, and the no-look tap-in behind the back. More than anything else, it was an indicator that Knies had his confidence back. You don’t attempt a move like this if you’re not happy with where your game is, and the Knies of last week would not have had the spark to even begin to try that move. Although the goal looked like it was done at will, Knies insisted that he got lucky on it.

“Yeah, it kind of slipped to my feet and I just wanted to get it on net,” Knies told reporters after the game. “Fortunately, it went in.”

To cap things off, he completed the hat trick with arguably the most perfect shot placement you can get. It can be a bit of a wildcard if you’re skating into the shot and one-timing it as opposed to carrying it in yourself with the time and space to pick your spot, but he put this shot directly above Jeremy Swayman’s right shoulder to seal him the hat trick. One of Knies’ assists came on a Matthews empty-net goal at the end of the game, with his teammate noting the progress he’s seen him make.

“He played awesome,” Matthews said of his linemate. “Got rewarded for a great game all around, both ends of the ice. He really showed the potential he has and he’s just going to continue to get better. He’s a big part of our team, so this was a huge game for him tonight.”

Head coach Craig Berube, who was an enforcer in his playing days, joked following Saturday night’s game that Knies’ five-point performance was similar to his own stat line over the course of a season.

“Three goals, five points, that was a whole year for me,” Berube said to an eruption of laughter in the scrum. “I thought he was a great player, just, you know, challenging their defencemen with his speed, direct shooting, I like that he just attacked and shot, wasn’t always looking for the other guys. He was playing his game very effectively, the whole game did.”

Berube went on to say that while the five-point explosion was nice to see, his game’s development on both sides of the puck has impressed him the most.

“Offensive growth and defensive growth,” Berube said when asked about what he’s seen since Knies picked it up again. “He’s become a really good penalty killer for us, he made a great play at the end of the game, they tried a back door play on us with the goalie out, and that’s just great hockey sense to drop down and make that play [to stop the chance].”

Let’s take a step back and look at what we’re talking about here. Here’s a 22-year-old power forward who tied his total of 15 goals last year in January of this season. He’s playing approximately four more minutes per game at even strength compared to last season, he’s playing on both special teams, and he has 25 points in 39 games to date. Yeah, something is telling me maybe we hit the panic button a little too soon.

Knies continues to show on a nightly basis what he can bring to the team, and the best is yet to come. He’s easily still three or four years removed from his prime, and as he continues to grow his game, he has a legitimate chance to be one of the better power forwards this league has to offer.

Alright, hockey fans, this isn’t just a trip—it’s the Nation Vacation, and we’re heading to the Music City from March 20th to 23rd! Get ready to watch Toronto take on Nashville in their own barn, soak up the honky-tonk vibes, and make unforgettable memories with the Nation crew. Whether you’re all in for a flight package or prefer a non-flight option, we’ve got you covered. Just don’t wait—spots are limited, and this trip is going to be electric. Book your spot NOW at nationgear.ca. Let’s go, Toronto! Nashville is calling!