The Phantom Call

Move over, Hollywood—Matthew Knies just wrote a script too wild for even the cheesiest sports flick. On March 2, 2025, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ sophomore sensation ripped a buzzer-beater goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a measly 0.1 seconds left in the second period, turning a tied game into a 5-4 Leafs lead faster than you can say “Sidney Crosby’s sad face.” The Leafs hung on for a 6-5 overtime thriller at PPG Paints Arena, but Knies’ last-breath snipe wasn’t just clutch—it’s already jostling for a spot among the NHL’s most iconic buzzer-beaters. Let’s break down the chaos and see how it compares to the legends of yore.

First, the play: with 5.7 seconds left in the second, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson tried a cross-ice pass in Toronto’s zone that had all the foresight of a blindfolded darts throw. Knies, the 22-year-old with a nose for chaos, intercepted it at the blue line and bolted like he’d just spotted a double-double in the stands. “Everyone was yelling at me to shoot by the red line,” he said post-game, per X posts, “so I was kind of nervous.” Nervous? Sure. Heroic? Oh, yeah. He deked Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist with a shoulder shimmy, snapped a wrister past the blocker, and bam—5-4 Leafs as the horn screamed. The clock froze at 19:59.9, officials reviewed it frame-by-frame, and the green light confirmed it: a goal with 0.1 seconds to spare. Penguins fans wept; Leafs Nation ordered the T-shirts.

Now, where does this rank among the NHL’s pantheon of buzzer-beating madness? Let’s stack it up:

1. Nazem Kadri’s 0.1-Second Stunner (August 3, 2020)
   Back in the COVID bubble, Colorado’s Nazem Kadri gave the St. Louis Blues nightmares with a third-period power-play goal to win 2-1. The puck crossed the line with 0.1 seconds left—so close the overhead replay looked like a blurry Rorschach test. Analysts still argue if it broke the “closest ever” record, but Knies’ goal matches it tick-for-tick. Difference? Kadri’s won the game outright; Knies’ set up an OT finish by William Nylander. Edge: Kadri, but only because ending it is chef’s kiss territory. https://youtu.be/DKtH_Y8-9co?si=-F7owXJ3M2liQeeq
2. Staal’s 0.1-Second Playoff Dagger (May 18, 2022)
   In Game 1 of the 2022 playoffs, Carolina’s Jordan Staal tied it at 1-1 against the Rangers with 0.1 seconds left in the second—sound familiar? He redirected a Justin Faulk shot past Igor Shesterkin, sparking a 2-1 OT win. Like Knies, it was a period-ender, not a game-ender, but Staal’s came in postseason pressure. Knies’ regular-season flair gets the style points, though—dude went coast-to-coast solo. Call it a tie for drama, with Knies winning the “did it alone” trophy. https://youtu.be/8i50eBOxSMQ?si=l-qpxYCOw0Quv0oH
3. Tyler Johnson’s 1.1-Second Playoff Clutch (May 18, 2015)
   Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson beat Montreal’s Carey Price with 1.1 seconds left in Game 2 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, tying it at 2-2 before a 6-2 rout. Not as razor-thin as Knies’ 0.1, but the playoff stakes and Price’s pedigree make it a gut-punch classic. Knies’ goal didn’t seal a win, but his one-man show outshines Johnson’s teamwork setup. Verdict: Knies takes the pizzazz prize, Johnson the context crown. https://youtu.be/NevZIsWm31s?si=KM_0e4KsHZu9nwBG
4. Wayne Gretzky’s Great One Legacy
   The Fan Arch blog pegs Gretzky with the most career buzzer-beaters (exact count fuzzy, but at least 13), including gems like a 1981 third-period tie against Detroit with 0.3 seconds left. Knies’ 0.1 beats Gretzky’s tightest known margins, but Wayne’s sheer volume—scored in clutch moments across 20 years—makes him the king. Knies has one for the highlight reel; Gretzky has a library. No contest, but Knies’ debut entry is loud.

Knies’ buzzer-beater isn’t just a “wow” moment—it’s a statistical unicorn. Per NHL records, goals with 0.1 seconds left are rarer than a polite Boston fan. His 23 goals and 40 points in 56 games this season already had him on the radar, but this one’s got Leafs fans dreaming of parades and Penguins fans googling “Karlsson trade rumors.” Pittsburgh’s 25-26-6 squad was left stunned—X posts called it “the most telegraphed pass in history”—while Toronto’s 38-20-2 crew rode the high to Nylander’s OT winner. “Five seconds from our zone to a goal?” Coach Craig Berube marveled. “He jumped, used his speed, and bam.”

So, is Knies’ goal the greatest buzzer-beater? Not yet—Gretzky’s catalog and Kadri’s game-ender edge it out. But at 0.1 seconds, it’s tied for the closest, and the solo dash puts it in rarified air. It’s less “game over” and more “game on,” a spark that lit up a wild 6-5 finish. Penguins fans might need therapy, but Leafs Nation’s got a new folk hero—and a story to tell every time someone says, “Remember when?” Move aside, history—Knies just elbowed his way into the conversation.