Tag: Michael Bunting

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Michael Bunting gets multi-game suspension in first-round series!

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After his meeting with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting has been suspended three games for his illegal hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.

Bunting was assessed a match penalty after making contact the defenseman’s head. Cernak, who did not have the puck, fell back and laid down on the ice before he was assisted in leaving the game. He did not return.

Toronto lost 7-3 to Tampa Bay in Game 1. Calle Jarnkrok took over in Bunting’s place on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and scored a goal.

Before the announcement was confirmed, it felt like the Maple Leafs already knew they’d be without Bunting. During Wednesday’s morning practice, rookie Matthew Knies skating in a regular jersey, while Bunting wore the extra grey, anticipating a suspension.

They anticipated correctly and will be without Bunting until Game 5, once / (if) they return to Toronto. 

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Tough wakeup call awaits Matthew Knies

The Toronto Star

The Toronto Maple Leafs not only lost their opening Stanley Cup Playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in dominating fashion, but also lost forward Michael Bunting for the next three. 

The feisty sophomore forward was suspended for the next three after he was thrown from last night’s tilt after catching Lightning defenceman Erik Cernak up high with what appeared to be his elbow.

“He has put himself into a bad spot, but we have options if needed and we will move things around,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Bunting. “We think (Matthew Knies) is a great option for us. In the games that he has played, I think he did a good job. He’s taken care of all he can do in the short amount of time he has been here.”

Not long after the decision came down from the NHL Department of Player Safety, speculation began to grow that forward Matthew Knies, who was recently inked to a three year entry level deal after completing his season at the University of Minnesota, could replace Bunting in the lineup. 

“We think he’s a great option for us,” Keefe said of Knies. “We brought him in here for a reason and gave him (regular-season) games for a reason.”

“That’d be awesome,” Knies himself stated about potentially playing in Game 2. “Every kid’s dream is to play in the playoffs and play for the Stanley Cup, so I’d be super-stoked and pumped to be a part of it and just try to contribute.”

He’ll have to expect major differences between playing at the collegiate and professional levels, however.

“Instead of a 24-year-old, you have a 28-year-old bearing down on you who’s been in the league for eight years,” Zach Aston-Reese explained. 

“Baptism by fire,” Aston-Reese continued. “You learn quick. With one game, you realize, ‘Oh, s—.’”

Tomorrow’s Game 2 between the Maple Leafs and Lightning will get underway starting at 7:30 PM EST from Scotiabank Arena. 

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Bunting throws a dirty elbow on Cernak, gets tossed from the game

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We’ve had a bit of everything so far in Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Big goals, big saves, big hits and… surprise, surprise… a cheap shot from Leafs forward Michael Bunting.

Butning earns himself a major penalty and a game misconduct for this elbow on Lightning defender Erik Cernak:

Bunting will now watch the rest of the game from the dressing room and his teammates will be forced to kill a five minute major while already down two goals.

UPDATE: Welp… now they’re down 3 goals.

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NHL Player Safety: Bunting facing possible suspension

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a brief update to our earlier published report on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting.

UPDATE: Bunting has been called in by NHL Player Safety and faces possible supplemental discipline.

For our earlier report on this developing story, read below.

We’ve had a bit of everything so far in Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Big goals, big saves, big hits and… surprise, surprise… a cheap shot from Leafs forward Michael Bunting.

Butning earns himself a major penalty and a game misconduct for this elbow on Lightning defender Erik Cernak:

Bunting will now watch the rest of the game from the dressing room and his teammates will be forced to kill a five minute major while already down two goals.

UPDATE: Welp… now they’re down 3 goals.

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Nazem Kadri gets tangled in Maple Leafs’ playoffs woes!

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This can’t be happening again, right Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans?! Last night, Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during the teams’ first game of their Round 1 series. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced after the game that Bunting will have a hearing on Wednesday afternoon for the incident.

Many reports emerged following the incident, which took place in the second period when Bunting appeared to hit the unsuspecting Cernak in the head in front of the Bolts’ net. Cernak, who did not have the puck, fell backwards to the ice and went to the dressing room. He did not return to the contest.

As it was expected, Bunting’s situation is now being compared to what happened to forward Nazem Kadri in the first round series of the 2019 playoffs against the Boston Bruins. Kadri was suspended for the remainder of the first round by the NHL’s department of player safety for delivering a dangerous cross-check to the head of Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. The Maple Leafs were consequently eliminated from the postseason with Kadri looking on from the press box. Kadri was also suspended during the 2018 Leafs-Bruins series for a high hit on Tommy Wingels, for which he was banned three games.

The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke couldn’t help but bring Kadri back into the discussion as we await the league’s verdict on Bunting.

“It’s hard not to pick up some serious Nazem Kadri vibes from this whole sequence of events. The former Leafs forward was a long-time fan favourite for his physical, heart-on-his-sleeve approach, but was suspended in both the 2018 and 2019 playoffs for hits that even with the benefit of hindsight, look questionable.

“Both Kadri and Bunting are players who play on the edge: they can get under the skin of opponents but they’re also counted on to contribute offensively. Back-to-back 23-goal seasons for Bunting for a measly $950,000 cap hit is a tremendous value, but that comes with an inherent risk: Bunting led the NHL in penalties taken among NHL forwards this season.”

Bunting didn’t speak to the media after the game, but it’s a clear fact that he has struggled with discipline this season. It remains to be seen if Bunting will be suspended, which if yes, comes with loads of questions. How long? Who takes his spot? Can he be trusted after that?

But one question that will remain unanswered is why Bunting pulled that move on Cernak to put the Maple Leafs’ series in jeopardy?

Not sure even Kadri can answer that one…

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Maple Leafs anticipate Michael Bunting suspension!

Mark Masters

The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting ready for Game 2 of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning without forward Michael Bunting.

During Wednesday’s morning practice, Maple Leafs’ rookie Matthew Knies skating in a regular jersey, while Bunting wore the extra grey, anticipating a suspension.

On Tuesday, Bunting was assessed a match penalty after making contact with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak’s head. Cernak laid down on the ice before he was assisted in leaving the game. He did not return.

Toronto lost 7-3 to Tampa Bay in Game 1. Calle Jarnkrok took over in Bunting’s place on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and scored a goal.

Knies remains on the ice for practice with some experienced veterans for extra work. He may have a gut feeling that he will draw into the Maple Leafs’ lineup following Bunting’s afternoon hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

More to come as the story develops.

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Evidence shows how Leafs’ Michael Bunting is being unfairly officiated!

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After Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting was called for embellishment and got a 10-minute misconduct in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, head coach Sheldon Keefe revealed how general manager Kyle Dubas was going to call the league and deal with it.

Darren Dreger reported on last night’s Insider Trading on TSN that there will indeed be a discussion about it at the league’s meeting with head coaches and general managers prior to the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the meantime, Jonas Siegel of the Athletic has put together a full article on evidence that shows how Bunting is being treated unfairly by officials.

Siegel targeted different incidents in which Bunting was being mistreated. The reporter started off with the same example Dreger offered when commenting on the situation:

“An example of that is a game against Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers. Kane is all over Bunting, Bunting gets mauled by Kane, and both of these players end up in the penalty box. I’m sure Bunting is thinking “look I don’t know what I did there.”

In a second example, Siegel recalls how Bunting received two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct while Columbus Blue Jackets’ Mathieu Olivier got nothing and then later in the same game with Boone Jenner on this sequence:

Siegel only used different incidents from past weeks, but Bunting knows it’s been happening for a while. But that won’t stop him from keeping his playing style.

“Obviously I play on that edge and in that role that draws a little bit more attention to myself,” he said to Siegel. “And I know that and I’m OK with that. I’ve played that (way) my whole life. I played that (way) in every level, even in the American League. I don’t plan on changing because it got me here (to the NHL ). I just gotta keep playing, keep being focused on playing my game and not worrying about anything else.”

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Sheldon Keefe slams NHL officials for their treatment of Michael Bunting.

John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs are very unhappy with how one of their player’s in particular has been treated by National Hockey League officials on the ice, and it seems they are finally speaking out about it.

After falling to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, in what was a meaningless game for a Maple Leafs team that has already locked in their first round Stanley Cup playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it would be after the game that the real drama would unfold.

During the course of the game, the Maple Leafs clearly felt that Michael Bunting was targeted by the officials, including being called for a penalty after he was on the receiving end of multiple cross-checks to the back.

That wouldn’t be the only incident that the Maple Leafs took issue with during the night, with head coach Sheldon Keefe also clearly disagreeing with a 10 minute misconduct that was awarded to Bunting later during the same game.

Following the game the Maple Leafs head coach spoke to the media and made it crystal clear how he felt about the officiating towards Bunting.

“Surprised? Based on the way that he’s been officiated of late, no not surprised at all,” said an unhappy Sheldon Keefe.

In fact the head coach went one step further and made it clear that the team would be raising the issue with the National Hockey League immediately following the game.

“Kyle [Dubas] will talk to the league,” confirmed Keefe following the game.

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Michael Bunting sounds off on heated bench exchange with Sheldon Keefe

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were on the winning side of things on Sunday night, taking down the Nashville Predators by a 3-2 final score at Bridgestone Arena in Music City. 

But during the course of the game, cameras captured forward Michael Bunting getting a stern talking-to on the bench from head coach Sheldon Keefe. As you may know, Bunting is one of the most intense players in hockey, and has often let his temper get the better of him.

For this of you who may have missed the exchange, take a look below: 

When asked about the substance of the conversation earlier today, Bunting declined to get into specifics, instead pointing to the fact that he and the Leafs head coach have a good relationship and that Keefe was part of the reason why Bunting wanted to play for his hometown team. 

“I’ll leave that between Keefer and I but what I will say is we have a good relationship,” Bunting explained. “We’ve known each other for a long time. There’s not much to really see there; he’s one of the reasons I signed here. I’ll leave it at that.”

Bunting and the Leafs are back in action tomorrow on home ice at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto when they host the Atlantic Division rival Florida Panthers, whom are scratching and clawing (no pun intended) for one of the final two Wild Card playoff spots in a tightly packed Eastern Conference. Game time is set for 7:30 PM EST. 

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Sheldon Keefe addresses yelling at Michael Bunting

Maple Leafs Hot Stove

By now, you’ve heard about the minor incident on the Leafs bench during Sunday’s 3-2 victory the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The Leafs head coach tapped forward Michael Bunting on the shoulder and barked orders at him, while Bunting didn’t appear overly interested in hearing what Keefe had to say. 

However, Bunting has declined to comment exactly on what Keefe was saying, and said that there’s no issue with their relationship that is several years old.

“I’ll leave that between Keefer and I. But what I will say is, Keefer and I have a good relationship. We’ve known each other for a very long time. And, yeah, there’s not really much to see there,” Bunting said. “He’s one of the reasons I came to Toronto, so, yeah, we’ll leave it at that.

“He knows, obviously, how to coach me and knows how I am and what kind of player I am. So, I wouldn’t really look much into that. And, yeah, just another day.”

And now, Keefe is telling his side of things. Based on his comments, there isn’t any underlying issue that Leafs fans should be concerned about going into the postseason.

“Bunts and I do have a relationship that goes far beyond here. But that’s not anything I focus on and think about. It’s a non-issue for me,” Keefe said of their interaction. 

“I give players a lot of leeway and a pass essentially, especially for those that come right off the ice. For me to expect a player coming right from the heat of the battle to sit on the bench and be a true gentleman when I want to go talk to him, I’m putting myself at risk in going into that situation. A non-issue for me. I think he got the message. I know that he hears me.”

It sounds as though there’s no cause for alarm in Leafs land with this particular situation.