Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Michael Bunting will be facing a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety today for an illegal check to the head and interference on Tampa Bay Lightning defender Erik Černák.
Officials assessed Bunting a match penalty on the play during last night’s 7-3 Game 1 loss. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, Bunting’s hearing with DOPS is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET today.
The play in question occurred at 15:40 of the second period when Bunting extended his upper arm into Černák’s head (video) while attempting to win a race for the puck, which resulted in the Lightning defender leaving the game and not returning. Earlier in the period, Černák had received a questionable roughing penalty for contact on Bunting after play had stopped.
First-round suspensions, along with series losses, are becoming an all-too-familiar refrain for the Maple Leafs. Former middle-six pivot Nazem Kadri was suspended for multiple games in both the 2018 and 2019 first-round losses against the Boston Bruins, while enforcer Kyle Clifford was suspended after a hit in Game 1 of last year’s loss against the Lightning.
The injury Černák sustained on the play will likely have some influence on Bunting’s punishment, and unfortunately for the Lightning, he’s not the only defenseman whose health is in question. Victor Hedman didn’t play the final two periods of the game with an undisclosed injury, forcing the Lightning to play with four defensemen, including rookies Nicklaus Perbix and Darren Raddysh, for the back half of the game.
While Bunting does have a history of playing on the edge, he’s yet to be suspended over the course of his 187-game NHL career. However, the NHL fined Bunting $2,000 in February for diving and embellishment.
With a suspension almost inevitable for Bunting, rookie winger Matthew Knies could make his playoff debut in Bunting’s place in Game 2 Thursday.
Likely to get a game. Can’t see it being more based on previous suspensions.
yeah , boneheaded move by bunting but honestly not surprising. for sure going to get a game but if I’m Keefe he sits longer , when will the kid learn ?
definitely seemed like a play out of frustration. the ticky tack penalty on kampf and interference on marner on that PK leading to a goal will do that.
I dont think Keefe will sit him however. reality is he is a guy who goes to the net and sits there which the leafs showed they need to score last night
I’ll agree that’s what they need to score on vasy based off of last night , but couldn’t you argue that too often does Bunting lose his cool and put his team in a bad position that makes it impossible to climb back in the game ? Maybe he needs a reality check , I don’t know , but the 5 min major really took away any chance the leafs had of catching up.
no I agree he has those kadri flashes where you see his value and other times the moment just gets to him and he makes a dumb decision.
I think if the leafs lose game 2 (assuming he is suspended one game), he is back in there for game 3. now does he play top 6 mins? could see him on line 3 with Calle moved up as he has the skill to stick with marner and Matthews and can shoot if the D gives him space
Put him on the 4th line when he is back just a problem for the staff the rest of the way…
Hope Cernak is “ok”. Real dirty play by Bunting. And how Cernak received a roughing penalty earlier in the period after Bunting initiated contact after the whistle is beyond me.
oh absolutely , today it was kinda laughable to revisit. I mean bunting skates toward him at high speed looking like he wanted to initiate contact , cernak obliged and gets called lol. bunting certainly is a weird little guy.
Same hit by Kessel last night. No penalty, no suspension, no nothing. The league has it in for Bunting, plain and simple.
I mean , is it not fair to say he’s done it to himself ? Ref bias is definitely weird but he’s earned a reputation only because of his continuing antics.
I have seen worse hits not called I see this as a one game at the most.