The two reconnected on Tuesday to give their team some air in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Knies scored 2:26 into overtime after Tavares put the puck in the net as the Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 to avoid elimination in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series them.
“You’re a little dim,” Knies said. , who joined Toronto last spring after leaving American college hockey before being injured in the second round. “I’m very excited and very happy.
“What makes me happier is seeing the faces of my teammates and how much they want to continue playing”
Tavares got the puck past Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk – a healthy scratch in the last two games and against the injured Brandon Carlo to start extra time – before firing a shot on target. goal in front for Knies to score his second goal of the playoffs “He really built this series,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of the 21-year-old “Effort Unbelievable by Tavares, but fitting because (Knies) worked so hard.”
Jake McCabe scored the other goal for Toronto. Joseph Woll, who started ahead of Ilya Samsonov, made 28 saves. Game 6 goes Thursday in Toronto. Game 7, if necessary, would be back at TD Garden on Saturday.
“We’re just gonna keep fighting,” Tavares said. “Keep believing, keep trusting each other and keep working to play again.”
Trent Frederic replied for Boston, which is still in the driver’s seat in the best-of-seven series up 3-2, but will have the memories of last spring’s blown 3-1 lead against the Florida Panthers in the opening round still fresh in their minds.
“You want to make them be uncomfortable,” Keefe said. “You want to make them have to pack up and head up to Toronto.”
Jeremy Swayman stopped 31 shots for the Bruins
“We weren’t good enough — just simple as that,” Boston head coach Jim Montgomery said. “They took it to us. We are not ready to deal with their desperation. The sniper, who led the NHL with 69 regular-season goals, appeared for Tuesday’s optional morning skate but was unable to suit up.
Max Domi took over No. 1 center role between Mitch Marner and Tyler Bertuzzi — a trio that jumped out early and kept playing strong all night.
“It was nice to see the guys get rewarded,” Domi said. “Let’s try to resolve this and be ready for the next match. “
Woll made his playoff debut last season in Toronto’s second-round loss to Florida due to Samsonov’s injury. He played a perfect third quarter in Saturday’s loss – conclusion result pushed the Leafs to the brink – after his on-court partner was cleared.
“Glad the coaches and the team believed in me,” Woll said “We won well. Excited to go back on home ice.”
Toronto, which rallied from 3-1 deficits against Boston in 2013 and 2018 before losing in seven games, opened the scoring at 5:33 of the first period inside a nervous TD Garden.
Domi won a faceoff and Marner fed a puck back to McCabe for him to sift home his first through a screen.
Woll had little to do at the other end until a tough bounce got the Bruins back even. A clearing attempt behind the net hit Boston forward Pat Maroon and bounced in front to Frederic for him to bury his third at 13:54.
The visitors’ perplexing power play — 1-for-14 in the series entering Tuesday — got a chance a minute later, but was unable to create much of anything in a period Toronto still dominated 12-2 on the shot clock.
The Leafs’ under-fire penalty kill did its job early in the second before William Nylander, who missed the first three games with an undisclosed injury, rang a shot off the crossbar.
Toronto came close late in the period, but Boston held the fort before a scrum that included Bruins captain Brad Marchand going after Marner — and led to a Leafs power play that had 1:38 left to start the third.
But Toronto couldn’t do anything with the fresh sheet of ice in falling to 1-for-17 with the man advantage.
Marchand then had a terrific chance, but could only scoop his effort wide. The Bruins forward and Pontus Holmberg were handed offsetting minors later in the third and Boston’s Charlie Coyle rattled Woll’s right post with the teams playing 4-on-4
The Leafs goaltender robbed Frederic in tight and Swayman stopped Bertuzzi on a 2-on-1 with Domi late in regulation to force OT, where Knies extended Toronto’s season at least one more game.
“Live to fight another day,” Knies said. “Everyone was just focused on doing their role, doing their job.
