A Brutally Honest Matthew Knies Holds the Maple Leafs Accountable After Game 4 Loss

The Maple Leafs wasted Joseph Woll's best outing of the post-season, after the 26-year-old netminder stopped 35 of 37 shots, posting a .946 SV% on the evening.

The Panthers brutalized the Maple Leafs throughout the game, including a stiff elbow to the head of Mitch Marner from Panthers defenseman Dmity Kulikov, which didn't even result in a penalty.

In the end, Max Domi took exception to how the Panthers went about their business, opting to deliver a deliver a dangerous hit from behind on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov late in the game, which may have landed the Leafs forward in some hot water with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

Matthew Knies spoke with the media after the game, but didn't try to spin any narratives, other than to say that the Leafs shot themselves in the foot by taking far too many penalties in the game.

The Leafs gifted the Panthers six power plays on the evening, who proceeded to go 1/6 on the power play, en route to a 2-0 victory on home ice to knot the series at 2-2.

The officiating was horrendous in this one, make no mistake about it. There were plenty of missed calls, and a very uneven penalty scaling balance, but in the end, for much of the game, it was the Panthers' ability to hold onto their 1-goal lead that made the difference before Sam Bennett added the insurance marker in the 3rd period.

Knies may be young, but he has become somewhat of a conscience for this team, being very vocal when he speaks with the media about his team's performance. When they haven't played well, Knies is not afraid to speak up, which is a telltale sign of his leadership qualities and accountability.

The Leafs have some time to regroup, as they do not play again until Wednesday, when they welcome the Panthers back to the confines of Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto.