Craig Berube Provides Unfortunate Update on Maple Leafs Forward Matthew Knies Ahead of Game 7

As Leafs Captain Auston Matthews put it ahead of Game 6, everyone is playing through something at this point of the season.

It was no different for sophomore winger Matthew Knies on Friday night following an innocent looking collision late in the first period. Knies was caught with a reverse hit on the forecheck from Florida Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola near the end of the period.

Knies went to the Leafs' dressing room, but returned for the start of the second period. Unfortunately, his injury, which was seemingly a hip or leg issue, hampered his play for the rest of the game and he was mostly used every third or fourth shift for the final two periods.

Following the Leafs' 2-0 win to force a Game 7 on Sunday, Berube was asked about Knies and his injury.

Unfortunately for the Leafs, it does not sound like Knies will be available for Sunday's series finale as Berube was non-committal on his status, noting the Arizona native needs further testing done.

Not having Knies in the lineup would be a huge loss for the Leafs, given the role he plays for the team. Knies is an all situations guy and is one of the few players that has been able to produce on a fairly consistent level throughout the post-season.

Knies is a gamer, and showed that by doing what he could to play through the pain on Friday. If those efforts were any indication, the former second-round pick may ignore the doctor's orders and dress for Game 7 to try and help propel the Leafs to the Eastern Conference Finals.