Player Discussion How are you feeling about Matthew Knies these days?

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Knies needs some load management and take a breather. He went on a power forward dash in the NJ game and forgot to gain center ice before chipping it in. Causing a completely unforced icing.

He and Robertson are also very dangle happy and over handle the puck. You can see with either fatigue or just whatever it is that he’s not always making the quickest smart decisions.

Just let him rest up a bit and take a pause for a couple of games.

I don't care for that line of Knies-Holmberg-Robertson at all. It's literally a bunch of kids and when they were out there with Benoit and Timmins it was just a mess of inexperienced youth.

That's the type of line you put together when you're rebuilding. I get that the team is injured but there's got to be a better combination to be had than sticking 3 guys who combined have fewer career NHL games than Noah Gregor together.

 

[Stephen]

I don't care for that line of Knies-Holmberg-Robertson at all. It's literally a bunch of kids and when they were out there with Benoit and Timmins it was just a mess of inexperienced youth.

That's the type of line you put together when you're rebuilding. I get that the team is injured but there's got to be a better combination to be had than sticking 3 guys who combined have fewer career NHL games than Noah Gregor together.

I hate seeing Knies and Robertson flash their skill unnecessarily on plays where you need more substance than style.

 

[wingman75]

I hate seeing Knies and Robertson flash their skill unnecessarily on plays where you need more substance than style.

I get flashes back to a young Kadri when I see that stuff.

 

[Stephen]

I get flashes back to a young Kadri when I see that stuff.

If we had credible veteran leadership in the room you would have guys telling them to play serious. But our captain pulls that kind of stuff. And starts at the top.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

2nd Bruins goal. Brandon Carlo (1) J. DeBrusk (1), H. Lindholm (1)






On the fly opinion:

Reilly loses his man, Jarny didnt cover, Benoit caught watching, Holmberg with the screen, Sammy forgetting save the puck. Just an all around piss poor 5 seconds there.

My take:
Knies (23) blocks a shot at the point on his D man. Then he proceeds to wander off to Jarnkrok's wing. The pass eventually comes back to the point and Knies' D man scores. He was floating around in no man's land doing nothing.

This second goal is on Knies (70%). Holmberg with a very weak block and didn't take away the far post (10%). 15% Morgan Rielly's fault as he got beat so cleanly by DeBrusk in the corner. And 5% on Sammy, he's gotta stop shots from the point.

Early on Debrusk just destroys MR 44 in the corner so cleanly.

Sad times if that is our #1 D.

 

[BertCorbeau]

2nd Bruins goal. Brandon Carlo (1) J. DeBrusk (1), H. Lindholm (1)






On the fly opinion:


My take:
Knies (23) blocks a shot at the point on his D man. Then he proceeds to wander off to Jarnkrok's wing. The pass eventually comes back to the point and Knies' D man scores. He was floating around in no man's land doing nothing.

This second goal is on Knies (75%).
Early on Debrusk just destroys MR 44 in the corner so cleanly.
View attachment 856731

Sad times if that is our #1 D.

Not really.. Jarnkrok chases his defender in deep, and with the puck on that side of the ice, Knies goes over to ensure that defender isn't left wide open and is open for a breakout pass if there is a turnover.

Holmberg needs to recognize this and that Benoit is there to cover the man in front, so Holmberg needs to get up on the point .. he's more in no-mans land in this play

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Knies goes over to ensure that defender isn't left wide open

and then does nothing.

He's the 3rd man in front of the net here. There is ZERO reason he isn't responsible for HIS D-MAN.

no way. The Wingers cover the point. Final answer.

 

[BertCorbeau]

and then does nothing.

View attachment 856736

He's the 3rd man in front of the net here. There is ZERO reason he isn't responsible for HIS D-MAN.

no way. The Wingers cover the point. Final answer.

He is on the point as it's intended. Collapsing low to prevent pass into the middle of the ice. He's also positioning himself to be the outlet pass, as it looks favourable the Leafs were going to win the board battle.

They didn't.

Again Jarnkrok left his point down low. Holmberg didn't adjust his positioning to cover for Jarnkrok.

 

[A1LeafNation]

and then does nothing.

View attachment 856736

He's the 3rd man in front of the net here. There is ZERO reason he isn't responsible for HIS D-MAN.

no way. The Wingers cover the point. Final answer.

We shitting on a rookies now bc 11m players can't take control of the game which is what they are paid to do.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

We shitting on a rookies now bc 11m players can't take control of the game which is what they are paid to do.

all the 11 AAV guys were on the bench.
watching.

I'm not shitting on anyone. I just want people's opinion on WHY we were scored against.

Again Jarnkrok left his point down low. Holmberg didn't adjust his positioning to cover for Jarnkrok.

Way too complicated.

And apparently in this case, the plan wasn't followed.

If this is the plan, we need a new coach.

Knies just blocked a shot at his D. He needs to be responsible for his D. Whatever he did, HIS D scored and he prevented nothing. He's watching the puck in the middle of the ice ... doing NOTHING.

 

[Stephen]

He's just a kid who shows some flashes here and there.

 

[hamzarocks]

Regret not dealing that 1st +knies for hagel + maf more every day

Knies will be a good 3rd liner

Hagel is a core piece

 

[A1LeafNation]

Regret not dealing that 1st +knies for hagel + maf more every day

Knies will be a good 3rd liner

Hagel is a core piece

Hagel is a finished product, Knies is not

 

[leafs in five]

he had a great first shift last night that ended in a really nice backcheck and then he kind of shat himself, worst on the shift before the carlo goal where he dawdled on the puck in his own zone and got stripped

 

[hamzarocks]

Hagel is a finished product, Knies is not

Knies ceiling isnt a 75 pt player who has a rat type element to his game as well.

Hagel is only 25 so have 4-5 prime years. He would have been 22/23 at the time of a trade. Would have been a piece to add for 7-8 years to the team which is basically our contention era left in 2022

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

This second goal is on Knies (70%). Holmberg with a very weak block and didn't take away the far post (10%). 15% Morgan Rielly's fault as he got beat so cleanly by DeBrusk in the corner. And 5% on Sammy, he's gotta stop shots from the point.

50+% Knies for not covering the point sure, but there's plenty of blame to spare for the leadup to that.

Samsonov deserves way more than 5% blame, he got beaten cleanly on two screens (Holmberg in this case) that he barely even tried to look around.

Anyway, I like that Knies is trying to play more of a power game but yeah no duh he's not there yet. Better coaching & development would be a good start.

 

[Menzinger]

Regret not dealing that 1st +knies for hagel + maf more every day

Knies will be a good 3rd liner

Hagel is a core piece

It's way too early to put a ceiling on Knies development.

Worth noting Knies development path so far is ahead of where Hagel was at a similar age.

 

[TMLAM34]

Knies is a keeper. He was rushed into our top six for no reason outside of terrible coaching. Power forwards always take a little longer to develop.

Knies - Tavares - McMann/Cowan third line next year!

 

[TMLife17]

Blaming Knies here is kind of funny. If he's one of our biggest problems that probably suggests the game was close. It wasn't. We had 40m not show up. Blaming the rookie to deflect off the guys who get paid to carry is fitting though. Failure to identify the problem has been a real problem.

Stars, management, coaching, goaltending, systems are the issue. And it's not Sammy's fault either, it's the management's fault for constantly bargain bin diving for the most important position in hockey. Every single year we have been against a vezina and/or 9+M goalie while icing these mid goalies. It's infuriating watching this team kill itself before seasons even start.

It's like we're playing pokemon and selecting our starting pokemon from professor Oak. We go first and Boston/Florida/Tampa just counterpick us. Except in this case we didn't have to pick first we chose charmander into squirtle. Stupid f***s

 

[A1LeafNation]

Knies ceiling isnt a 75 pt player who has a rat type element to his game as well.

Hagel is only 25 so have 4-5 prime years. He would have been 22/23 at the time of a trade. Would have been a piece to add for 7-8 years to the team which is basically our contention era left in 2022

It's impossible to tell that based on a rookie year.

Wyatt Johnston put up 40 points in his rookie year. This year he put up 65 and looks like he can be a PPG in his prime.

Not every prospects development is as linear also.

 

[NJG]

This is how that should have went and where everybody should have been.

Knies was trying to cover Rielly's man in front because Rielly was nowhere to be found while his man was alone in front, after he went on an adventure behind the net to legit just let the guy skate away from him when Benoit could have just taken him if he went around the net which is what happened. Knies was also cheating a little to the point in case the puck went out to the point. No reason for Holmberg to be there at all he should have been near the point covering that man and pass.

 

[TMLegend]

Haven't been a fan for a while. He's a rookie so I do cut him some slack, but he's turnover prone, and is usually good for a dumb penalty every other game or so.

He wouldn't be in my playoff lineup right now if I were Keefe.

 

[TMLife17]

Haven't been a fan for a while. He's a rookie so I do cut him some slack, but he's turnover prone, and is usually good for a dumb penalty every other game or so.

He wouldn't be in my playoff lineup right now if I were Keefe.

Uhhh who are you slotting in over him? Gregor?

 

[Gabriel426]

Knies needs to be put with guys who knows how to play. Playing him with Holmberg, pretty much a rookie and Calle won't help. Playing him with MM and JT won't help b/c JT is not vocal.
Knies played his best with ROR and Acciari b/c those two were vocal on the ice.
For guys like Knies, they either play with vets who is vocal or they need to learn the lessons the hard way. Or simply just give him simple orders to let him play a simple game.

 

[TMLegend]

Uhhh who are you slotting in over him? Gregor?

McMann takes his spot if he's able to go.