Michael Bunting has been slapped with a three-game suspension by the NHL 's Department of Player Safety, following a clash with Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Erik Cernak.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward was ejected from the first Play-Off game against Lightning on Tuesday after slamming into Cernak towards the end of the second period. Cernak did not have the puck at the time, and did not return to the ice after being hit in the head by Bunting.
Cernak has already been ruled out for game two on Thursday night as a result, but Bunting will also miss the next three games after the NHL ruled his check as illegal. It's yet another first-round Play-Off suspension for the Leafs, who have given themselves a mountain to climb in the series.
Frustration kicked in as the Leafs trailed Lightning 4-2 on Tuesday night, but it was very out of character by Bunting as he'd never been fined, suspended, or received a game penalty previously in his NHL career. The illegal check to the head and interference call completed the Leafs collapse at Scotiabank Arena, as the resulting power-play saw Lightning increase their lead to 6-2.
The game ended 7-3 to the Lightning, putting the pressure on the Leafs to respond quickly or suffer another first-round exit. The Leafs have the fifth-longest Play-Off drought in NHL history, not winning a single series since the 2003/04 season.
The pressure continues to mount with every season that goes by, but there was a real sense of optimism heading into the post-season after a stunning campaign from the Canadian side. The Leafs also went all out for Ryan O'Reilly in the trade market, and many sensed that the front office were pinning their hopes on breaking the curse this season.
But first-round ejections are becoming too common for the Leafs, as they continue to make their task tougher for themselves. Former star Nazem Kadri saw himself pick up a first-round suspension in back-to-back Play-Off series' against the Boston Bruins in both 2018 and 2019, and it was an injury to captain John Tavares that changed the complexion of their tie against Montreal Canadiens in 2021.
The past two seasons the Leafs have found themselves ahead in the first-round needing just one more win to progress. However, they proceeded to lose every remaining game in both series' as they can't seem to get over the final hurdle.
Perhaps the fact that they've made a losing start this time around will benefit them, as chasing a lead seems more achievable for the Leafs than defending one. But the Bunting suspension will lead to an alteration in their starting line-ups, although they'll be smelling blood with the Lightning dealing with injuries.
