Watch: Maple Leafs' Knies completes hat trick with winning goal

Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies (23) celebrates after scoring the winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during overtime at Amalie Arena. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Watch: Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies completes hat trick with winning goal vs. Lightning

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 11:17 PM ET

Left winger Matthew Knies provided some needed punch for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

With 2:56 left in overtime, Knies sealed a 4-3 win for the Maple Leafs. The score capped off the second hat trick of the 22-year-old's career.

What a Knies ending pic.twitter.com/vzHczVzMND
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 10, 2025

Perhaps Knies was using a frustrating 3-1 road loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday as fuel.

"We tried to push back, but I think we didn't do a good enough job. I think our physicality ... we were a little bit soft in some areas and not (pushing) through the full 60. So we're gonna have to learn to do that when it comes to playoff time," Knies said Tuesday, per Luke Fox of Sportsnet.

Following the win over Tampa Bay, the Maple Leafs have improved to 48-26-4 (100 points). They're first in the Atlantic Division with four regular-season games remaining.

The Maple Leafs want to avoid another early postseason exit. In three of its past four seasons, Toronto has failed to make it out of the first round. Knies calling out the team may give it the impetus it needs before the playoffs start on April 19.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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