Minus Knies, Leafs must change lineup to tame Panthers

“You’d call him day to day after that, but given the symptoms and such, I’d say he’s unlikely to return in the series,” Keefe said on a Zoom call with the media. “We’ll give him time to recover and see how that goes.”

With the Leafs not returning to practice until Saturday before flying south, Keefe and his staff have time to plot out a more grizzled Game 3 lineup. That includes replacing Knies with either Zach Aston-Reese or perhaps physical Wayne Simmonds as an option. Maybe Keefe opts for 11 forwards and seven defencemen, which means adding a bigger defenceman, Justin Holl or Erik Gustaffson.Article content

“Eleven and seven is a topic we consider every game. We used it once in Tampa and it certainly will be a topic at practice.”

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies leaves Game 2 against Panthers, won't returnToronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies did not return for the second period of Thursday night's playoff game against the Florida Panthers.
Source: CTVToronto - 🏆 9. / 84 Read more »

Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies leaves Game 2 against Panthers, won't returnToronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies did not return for the second period of Thursday night's playoff game against the Florida Panthers.
Source: CP24 - 🏆 30. / 67 Read more »

Leafs’ Matthew Knies leaves Game 2 with injury after being taken down by Panthers’ Sam BennettKnies was driven into the boards behind Florida’s net by Bennett before being tackled to the ice.
Source: TorontoStar - 🏆 60. / 55 Read more »

Leafs' Matthew Knies injured in Game 2 loss to PanthersMatthew Knies didn't return to the Leafs' bench after the first intermission and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Source: YahooCASports - 🏆 46. / 63 Read more »

‘Baffling’: Maple Leafs blow lead, lose Knies to pesky Panthers in Game 2After blowing a lead in Game 2, the Maple Leafs must stare at themselves in the mirror and ask: Do we want to stay in the fight? Because the Florida Panthers have already shouted in the affirmative. (lukefoxjukebox)
Source: Sportsnet - 🏆 57. / 59 Read more »

Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies has concussion, will miss Game 3 and 4 versus PanthersKnies is “unlikely” to return for Toronto in the series, according to coach Sheldon Keefe.
Source: DailyFaceoff - 🏆 25. / 68 Read more »