After calling out both himself and the team for playing soft in Tuesday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, Matthew Knies stepped up in a big way the very next night. Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 21-year-old power forward delivered a statement performance — scoring a hat trick, dominating on the forecheck, and showing exactly why he’s becoming a force for the Maple Leafs.

Here are three reasons Matthew Knies has officially turned the corner as one of Toronto’s most impactful young stars.

Reason 1. Knies Has Confidence That’s Bordering on Swagger

Matthew Knies isn’t just finding his game — he’s taking over games. The 21-year-old power forward has hit a new level with the Maple Leafs, combining skill, confidence, and creativity in an impossible way to ignore. Just ask Auston Matthews, who watched Knies fire a between-the-legs pass to Morgan Rielly in full stride before crashing the net to bury a Matthews feed for an overtime hat-trick winner — all in one of the Maple Leafs’ most important games of the season.

That kind of poise under pressure is no accident. Knies is playing with a boldness that borders on swagger, attempting high-risk, high-reward plays and pulling them off. Even head coach Craig Berube, who admitted, “I’m not sure I recommend that play,” couldn’t help but smile after hugging the OT hero postgame. When a young player starts trusting his instincts like that — and producing — it’s a significant turning point.

Reason 2. Knies Has an Elite-Level of Compete and Physicality

What makes Knies’ recent surge even more impressive is how hard he works for it. He’s not just relying on skill — he’s grinding. Night after night, Knies wins battles down low, forechecks aggressively, skates through contact, and sets the tone with his physical presence. “He skates through people all night,” said Berube. “He’s a highly competitive player.”

That competition level showed up strong following the Maple Leafs’ disappointing loss to Florida when Knies publicly called out the team for playing “soft” — then led by example the next night in Tampa Bay. In last night’s game, he scored three goals, finished plus-3, and helped his line dominate from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer. He demanded more “juice” from the team, then delivered it himself.

Reason 3. Knies Has Built Leadership Energy at 21

The most telling sign that Knies has turned a corner is how naturally leadership is starting to follow his performance. He’s still one of the youngest players on the team, but he’s already showing a veteran’s sense of accountability and presence. Matthews described him as a “confident person” who clearly understands what makes him successful, adding that he “brings great energy into the room every day.”

From his fearless showing in last year’s Boston playoff series to his current stretch as a first-line staple with 29 goals and 55 points (and counting), Knies is making it clear: he’s not just showing up — he’s stepping up. And in doing so, he’s becoming the player the Maple Leafs need him to be.

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