It looks difficult now. While the Florida Panthers are going to be preparing hard amidst the last and crucial game of the series, the Toronto Maple Leafs have to go through some other stuff at the moment. Such as a key change in their roster. Because just when Auston Matthews and his squad managed to claw their way back into the series with a gutsy Game 6 win, the spotlight swung right back to a lingering concern.

Looks like Matthew Knies’ injury is slowly turning into a mystery. But why? Talk about an information diet ever since the young winger took a reverse hit from Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola late in the first period, as there have been minimal updates till now! While Knies did manage to finish the game, his minutes were visibly limited, and now with Game 7 just around the corner, how is the Leafs Nation doing? Probably still waiting to see if one of their top playoff performers is ready to suit up for the biggest game or not.

Well, according to Mark Masters on X, fans still need to hold their patience because Craig Berube has no major update yet. “No update on Matthew Knies from Leafs coach Craig Berube,” an X post by TSN reporter Mark Masters read. Because the head coach himself isn’t sure about the young player’s return. “I haven’t seen him today so, I mean, I don’t have an update for you right now. I will today, though, at some point, for sure. How he’s doing & how we’ve got to proceed going forward here with him,” Berube said

Well, what does this signify now? Are the Leafs going to enter Game 7 without Knies? Probably yes, because Bobby McMann was seen taking first-line shifts alongside the top performers—captain and Mitch Marner at some points during the game! While Knies didn’t leave the contest entirely, he did log out at 13:01 of ice time after failing to deal with the discomfort. And now, when the next clash-up is going to be a do-or-die one, let’s admit that the Panthers are going to be taking full advantage of the situation.

After all, his Knies was one of the top performers of the Leafs, who had been more than just a complementary piece during this postseason. And those five goals and seven points in 12 games didn’t just make him a big contributor on Toronto’s top line but also the top power-play unit to deliver offense and some physicality on time. And now his absence is indeed going to leave a noticeable void in their lineup if there’s no update soon. However, in case you think the Panthers can take it that easily? Think again while they face their worst fear!

Not only the Leafs but also Florida Panthers face a crucial change before Game 7!

While the Panthers might consider the no Knies situation as a fruitful one, it was only until their head coach, Paul Maurice, announced a big change ahead of Game 7. Boom—real fun strikes here! Game 7 indeed looms large, with Toronto facing more than just the pressure of a do-or-die showdown and the Panthers eyeing the moment as an opportunity to regain control, especially after what has been a ride of highs and lows for both teams. Maurice’s recent actions did raise concern regarding the roster lineup. Well, what happened exactly?

While, just recently, when the head coach made no changes to his lineup, his attempt to do so could appear before Game 7. Though not exactly making a change to the lineup yet, Maurice was being cautious and leaving the door open for a possible change, especially depending on Evan Rodrigues’ condition, who participated in the morning practice session but stayed out late after sustaining a possible injury in Game 6. “We’ll monitor him tomorrow and see where he’s at,” Maurice quoted while indicating he may not be fully fit to return yet.

With Rodrigues under concern for the Florida Panthers and Matthew Knies’ status hanging in the air for the Leafs likewise, let’s admit that both sides are heading into Game 7 but are missing a piece of their puzzle. Isn’t it like a tightrope walk now where one team tries to close it out without a key contributor, and the other is just desperately hoping their rising star can suit up when it matters most? Let us know.