> even with the most unskilled counterplay
With the most unskilled counterplay, it is possible to achieve mate with two knights.
Thats just weird......
No, it's a win for White since the two knights can checkmate through a legal sequence of moves, even though it involves a horrible blunder by Black. The point is whether the side that has been flagged can be checkmated. Whether the win can be forced is completely irrelevant.
Surely the explanation shouldn't sound so difficult to understand? I'm sure I'm not making this up when I say somebody really important said - "Your understanding of a subject is measured by how well the people you are communicating your understanding to, understand."
Understand?
It is simple to understand: if you lose on time then you lose... on time.
Only exception is if there is no series of legal moves leading to checkmate: then and only then it is a draw.
Time out • White is victorious