Knies has suffered a head and shoulder injury this season, missing four games for the Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a tightly contested 2-1 score on Saturday night to the Vancouver Canucks, their final game before a two-week break for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

The defeat marked the Leafs’ eighth consecutive loss at Rogers Arena and their second against Vancouver this season, despite holding an 8-2 record against Pacific Division teams.

Now, with the NHL on pause for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the Leafs begin a rare two-week break before returning to action on February 22 against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

For forward Matthew Knies, this break comes at a favorable time. The break is a welcomed opportunity to let his body heal after a grueling stretch.

“Yeah, I think just getting 100% healthy. Getting all the bumps and bruises out, kicking the feet up a little bit is definitely going to help me,” said Knies, beginning a two-week break. 

“I'm still a younger player and just my second season and I know it's a long long year but yeah it's going to be nice to just relax and take your mind off hockey for a little bit. I'm sure it's only going to be a few days before I'm already itching to go back on the ice,” he added. 

Knies, in his second full NHL season, has endured a physically demanding campaign, missing four games due to separate injuries. The 22-year-old suffered an ailment to his shoulder on January 22 in a collision with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, causing him to miss two games before returning on February 1. 

Earlier in the season, he was sidelined for two games in November after a hard hit from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud that saw his head hit the ice.

As of late, on the Western road trip, Knies has been logging some heavy minutes, including 20:07 of ice time against Vancouver on Saturday, 18:40 against Seattle on Thursday, and a season-high 23:00 against Calgary on Tuesday.

With two weeks away from game action, Knies is heading home to recharge both physically and mentally.

“I'm going to Arizona to see my parents and stuff and then go see the girlfriend for a little bit,” said Knies.

Despite the setbacks, his production has remained strong this season, with a career-high 21 goals and 36 points through 51 games. Since returning from his latest injury, Knies had a point in every game leading into Saturday’s contest, registering three goals and two assists over three games.

He has helped provide a significant boost for the Maple Leafs, winning three of their last four games heading into the break, sitting second in the Atlantic Division with 68 points.

Now, he’s looking forward to the chance to rest and recover over the next two weeks.

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