The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without rookie forward Matthew Knies for at least the next two games because of a concussion, coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday.
Knies was injured in Thursday night’s 3-2 loss to the visiting Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second-round series.
He exited the game in the first period after being checked into the boards by Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who then slammed Knies to the ice.
“I didn’t love it, obviously,” Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said after the game. “And it results in an injury.”
No penalty was called on that play, although Bennett was later penalized — and fined $5,000 on Friday — for cross-checking Michael Bunting in the head.
Knies, 20, joined Toronto after helping the University of Minnesota reach the NCAA title game. The 2021 second-round pick had one assist in three regular-season games and has four points (one goal, three assists) through seven games in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Toronto trails 2-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series with Game 3 scheduled for Sunday in Sunrise, Florida.
