Matthews Knies Leaves Game After Controversial Hit Reminiscent of Ryan Reaves

However, upon further inspection, it was evident that Whitecloud not only targeted the head but that he left his feet as he was delivering the hit. It was a brutal hit as Knies immediately fell as both teams got into a scrum.

Toronto defenseman Simon Benoit took exception and throttled Whitecloud before taking him down to the ground.

Knies ended up being checked out on the bench before he headed off to the locker room, thankfully under his own power, to get looked at by trainers.

The most incredible thing about the whole incident is that Whitecloud did not receive a major penalty for an illegal hit where he essentially leaped out of his skates to attack Knies. It's another piece of evidence that shows the NHL doesn't hold Toronto in high regard.

The Maple Leafs must feel slighted by the fact that Ryan Reaves received a five-game suspension for a hit to the head of Darnell Nurse that while could be justified, did not have the same level of malicious intent as Whitecloud's hit.

It's been a scrappy game to say the least, as there have been numerous times during the game when things got heated, and even the normally calm John Tavares even got into a fracas and landed a solid takedown too.

It would be a huge blow to the Maple Leafs if Knies were to miss any time, as not only are they currently dealing with a mountain of injuries to several key players, but Knies is starting to become a serious star for the Maple Leafs and this would derail everything.

With 12 points in 18 games this season, Knies has been a huge part of Toronto's success without Auston Matthews and has shown fans why Toronto decided to sign him out of the NCAA.

There is currently no update on Matthew Knies' condition as Toronto continues to lead Vegas 1-0 after two periods.