Why Michael Bunting Will Not Get Into Maple Leafs Lineup for Game 5 Against Lightning
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won three consecutive playoff games while the forward was serving a three-game suspension. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said the player will get back in at some point. But not on Thursday,
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to dress the same 18 skaters when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of their first-round playoffs series.
That means Michael Bunting, who is eligible to return from a three-game suspension, will be a healthy scratch for the first time all season.
"My job is to be a good teammate and be a professional in all aspects. That's what I intend on doing. I'll just wait for my number to be called," Bunting said following the team's practice on Wednesday. "I plan on helping this team win and I'm hoping that there'll be a lot more games to be played and that I'll be in them. That's what I plan on doing."
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Bunting was one of four players who played in all 82 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs this season. He scored 23 goals and added 26 assists in that time and was on the team's top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for Game 1. But, Bunting was suspended three games by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak, who has not been able to play nor skate since the incident.
"They made their decision and I'll live with it," Bunting said of the discipline. "I didn't intend to hurt him or do that."
Bunting said he exchanged texts with Cernak to see if he is ok but left the details of that conversation to himself.
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 4-1 deficit in the third period of Game 4 to defeat the Lightning 5-4 in overtime and took a 3-1 series lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.
On Tuesday, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe held a Zoom availability with reporters saying that while he hadn't made his decision on if Bunting would be in or not, that player that substituted for Bunting in Game 2 — Rookie Matthews Knies — would not be coming out.
At practice, Knies skated in the top-six forward group on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
The Maple Leafs have a chance to win a playoff round for the first time since 2004 when they host the Lightning in Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. And although Bunting will not be in for that game, Keefe fully expects Bunting to return to the lineup soon.
"It's not an easy decision because Bunts has played some really good hockey for us," Keefe said. Really the message will be that he will get back in, just not tomorrow."
Analysis
There are three good reasons why the Maple Leafs are taking this approach ahead of Game 5
1. Matthew Knies is undefeated in the NHL. While he isn't the only reason for the team's success during the post-season. the 20-year-old has shown tremendous poise and a knack for what is required for playoffs at the NHL level. So a direct replacement would not have made a lot of sense.
2. Fourth-line consistency: The only line that hasn't changed at practice on Thursday was the fourth line of Zach Aston-Reese, David Kampf and Sam Lafferty. Stashing Bunting into that spot isn't a good fit, while there really isn't a fit for the player on the third line, either.
3. Three chances to get the job done: If the Maple Leafs falter to get the job done on Thursday, they will have two additional chances against the three-time Stanley Cup Finalists.
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