Hockey Imagines

Series Clinched - Matthew Knies

Edited 02/22/2024

In honor of the Leafs winning their first series since my brother was born. I blame it on him for the playoffs curse. (I'm kidding, I love my brother very much.) Also, can we take a moment to thank Sheldon for cutting Holl from the lineup.

Game six for the Leafs vs Lightning series is tonight. Maeve is one of the best defense on the team, getting a few goals in her short time there. Currently, she had four goals in the playoffs. Crazy, right? She's also the only girl in the league, let alone her team. However, she's a call up along with her boyfriend, Matthew Knies.

Maeve and Matthew play on the same team at the moment, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL. The two have known each other since they were kids with your typical "next door neighbour best friends" story. Anyways, when they found out the both of them had been called up, they were ecstatic.

Maeve was snapped out of her thoughts by a tap on her right shoulder. When she looked up, she brought her gaze over to see Matthew tapping her shoulder.

"We're in Tampa." He said. The brunette patted her head and laughed when she glared. When he saw her gaze not wavering, his face fell. "Oh shit."

Matthew started running out of the bus while the others looked confused. When Maeve came running out after him, they all were visibly less confused and some even laughed. "MATTHEW MOTHERFUCKING KNIES! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" 

"Maeve?" Sheldon questioned, halting his defenseman in her killing spree. "What's going on?" She pointed towards Matthew hiding behind Tavares. "Go ahead." He sighed.

Maeve smirked and ran towards Matthew, chasing him around the hotel while the others went in. Eventually, she caught up and jumped onto his back, bringing the two down and into the grass. 

"Uhm, ow?" Matthew sassed. Maeve looked at him and tousled his hair, walking inside to get her room key and find out who her roommate is. "Bitch." He muttered loud enough for her to hear. She turned and looked at him, fake shock written on my face.

"How dare you?" Maeve sarcastically asked. Matthew just chuckled and shook his head, letting her climb onto his back to be carried the one minute walk to the hotel.

"Knies. Jones." Sheldon said. "You guys will be rooming." 

"Do I reeeeally have to room with this dumbass?" Maeve asked him. Matthew just looked up at her, offended. She kissed his pouted lips and he smiled. 

"Yes, and that's why." The coach said. He handed the two the keys and they were on their way.

As Matthew walked, Maeve hummed the Pink Panther theme song as she tiredly laid her head on his shoulder. He began to move his footsteps in that pattern of the beat she was humming. As he began, he felt her smile on his shoulder as she moved with the beat.

When the two got to their room, Matthew threw Maeve onto the bed and dramatically flopped on top of her, making her groan at the sudden weight. "The things you make me do." He sighed. "Makes me wonder..am I just a slave?"

"Really living that y/n life right now, Knies." Maeve laughed, patting his head.

"WOAH! That girl was so hot. With her luscious blonde hair, her green-blue eyes." Matthew continued 'the y/n' while his girlfriend laughed. Eventually, they went to bed when they remembered they had a game the next day that may make history. 

Next morning, Amalie Arena

At the moment, the Leafs were skating around the ice for warm ups. After Maeve made a few shots and got them in, she went to the side by the center line to stretch. She looked around and saw a few signs that caught her eye. 'Girls shouldn't be in this league!' 'Go home, Jones!' 'Wash the dishes, Maeve.'

Maeve doesn't let the signs get to her as she sees them at all of her games, even in the lower leagues. Mitch came over and the two stretched and chatted. She saw Mitch as the older brother she never had, so don't get the wrong idea.

Eventually, they both got back into warm ups. Maeve, O'Reilly, and Brodie did a few passing and shooting drills. The buzzer above went, indicating the end of warmups. She stayed out as long as she could before she had to go back to the locker room.

Everyone took off their helmets and gloves, some even took off their skates. Sheldon said a few things and revealed the starting lineup, which consisted of Maeve, Matthews, Knies, Schenn, Bunts, and Samsonov. He then gave the team a speech, followed by a few words from the captain, Tavares.

The buzzer went which forced the team onto the ice. They all skated around before their starting lineup went onto the blueline. The singer came out to sing O Canada.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command
With glowing hearts we see thee rise
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

Everyone clapped as players banged their sticks on the ice and boards. Next, Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, the Tampa anthem singer, came out to sing Star Spangled Banner.

Oh, say can you see,
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.
O say,
Does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?

All the fans sang along and she got a very loud applause as everyone got their helmets back on. We all skated a few laps around before heading to center ice. Just like that, the game began.

First goal - Toronto

Maeve was standing on the bench as her line went out next when Matthews went speeding down the ice with the puck. He shot an absolute beauty of a shot straight to the back of the net. 

On the bench, everyone was yelling and cheering for Matthews as they now have the lead. 

First goal - Tampa

Maeve was out on the ice, defending her area as Stamkos came down with the puck. Stamkos passed to Cirelli, who passed to Raddysh, back to Stamkos who makes the shot and puts the puck in the net. 

"SHIT!"

OT GOAL

The two teams are in OT with about three minutes left. Maeve is on the ice while they're skating down. She stayed more behind, saying she's the defense. She watched Reilley pass to Knies, Knies almost went for the shot but passed it to Tavares. Tavares shot and it looked like it was about to go passed the net but it's in!

The team jumped off the bench while we piled on Tavares and Sammi. "FUCK YEAH! LET'S GO!" Someone shouted, sounding like Marner. Matthew skated up to his girlfriend once their helmets were off and kissed her. She kissed him back and the Leafs fans, as well as the players, all cheered. 

Hotel

After celebrating, Maeve and Matthew decided to go back to the hotel rather than go out. Once they were back, the two cuddled each other and watched movies. They exchanged no words. All they knew was that they helped break a record.

The two of them just punched their tickets to the second round of playoffs for the first time since 2004.

***

Edit: Yeah. Just for them to almost get swept out of the second round smh

WC: 1270