Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting had a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday following a dangerous hit he delivered in Game 1. Now, we know the result of that hearing.
Bunting will serve a three-game suspension, beginning with Toronto's Game 2 Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs forward is a pending unrestricted free agent when the market opens on July 1.
The incident occurred in the second period of Game 1. Bunting delivered a hit to the head of Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. The Maple Leafs forward was given a five-minute match penalty.
Cernak left the game after taking the hit from Bunting. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has confirmed Cernak will miss Game 2 of the series on Thursday.
The Lightning scored twice on the ensuing power play from Bunting's hit. Tampa Bay went on to blowout the Maple Leafs 7-3 in Toronto to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Maple Leafs have lost their first-round playoff series the last six seasons. In fact, the team has not won a playoff series since the 2004 season. Toronto lost to the Lightning in the first round last season, blowing a 3-2 lead.
Bunting's absence likely allows Toronto to bring promising forward Matthew Knies into the lineup. Knies, a second-round pick in 2021, made his NHL debut on April 10 against the Florida Panthers.
If the Maple Leafs pick up a win in the next three games, Bunting is available to return for Game 5. However, if they fail to win in these next games, Toronto goes home early for the seventh consecutive season.
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