Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting watches from the bench during one of the team's drills before Game 5 on Thursday Matthew Knies did not take the ice for the start of the second period of Toronto's Game 2 matchup with the Florida Panthers. The club announced that the rookie would not return to the game. The club did not announce the nature of Knies' injury, but the forward was slow going to the bench after Panthers forward Sam Bennett wrestled the 20-year-old down to the ice. Knies was slow to get to the bench. He had a brief chat with head athletic therapist Paul Ayotte, but remained in the game until his removal during the first intermission. "We don't have an update on his status, he didn't complete the game so that's not positive," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said following Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Panthers on Thursday. "In terms of the hit, I'm not going to comment on the hit, the league will look at that." William Nylander started the first few shifts of the second period in Knies' place. It began a sequence of bad news as Florida scored twice in the opening 1:06 of the middle frame to take a 3-2 lead on the Maple Leafs. "I didn't love it, obviously," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said of the hit. Knies has exceeded expectations during his short time with the Maple Leafs. Signed by the club to a three-year, entry-level contract last month, Knies had one assist in three regular season games. He scored his first NHL goal, a playoff goal, in Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1. The Maple Leafs began Game 2 by shuffling their lines. After a few games in the top-six, Knies started Thursday's game on the third line with Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari. Toronto wasn't able to respond to Florida's comeback early in the second period and find themselves down 2-0 in their best-of-seven series. Game 3 goes Sunday at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. WHAT IF KNIES ISN'T READY TO RETURN FOR GAME 3? Should the Leafs be without Knies for Game 3, that could open the door for Zach Aston-Reese to come back into the lineup and replicate the same group of 12 forwards they went with to open the playoffs. Knies was a healthy scratch in Game 1 of Toronto's six-game series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Toronto could also go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, although defense wasn't the reason Toronto lost on Thursday. The Leafs had 58 percent of the high-danger scoring chances per NaturalStatTrick.com. Related Sam Lafferty to Play Game 2 for Maple Leafs Against Panthers, Zach Aston-Reese to Sit Out [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/sam-lafferty-to-play-game-2-for-maple-leafs-against-panthers-zach-aston-reese-to-sit-out] 'It Would Be Huge For Him', Maple Leafs React to Mitch Marner's Selke Trophy Nomination [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/it-would-be-huge-for-him-maple-leafs-react-to-mitch-marners-selke-trophy-nomination] Meet Cody Burnett, the 26-Year-Old Streamer Who is Buying Tickets for Maple Leafs Fans [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/meet-cody-burnett-the-26-year-old-twitch-streamer-who-is-buying-tickets-for-maple-leafs-fans]
