Toronto forward will have to sit out Games 2, 3 and 4 as a result of the discipline meted out by the league
A few hours before his hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety, Michael Bunting wore a grey jersey at practice on Wednesday as the Maple Leafs set out to fix the multitude of things that went wrong in an embarrassing loss to the Lightning in the first game of the playoffs.
Bunting will have to sit out Games 2, 3 and 4 as a result of the discipline meted out by the league. The Maple Leafs trailed 4-2 in the second period when the incident occurred. Bunting shouted at officials as the hit was being reviewed, after which he was handed a match penalty and a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head.Toronto’s performance was so shabby that its coach, Sheldon Keefe, decided not to give the players Wednesday off.
As he waited to hear the league’s decision on Wednesday, Keefe seemed resigned that bad news was coming. In recent years they had another player – Nazem Kadri – suspended during the postseason three times. A left wing, Bunting started on the first line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Tuesday. At Wednesday’s practice, Calle Jarnkrok was moved up from third line right wing to take his place. But that also necessitated additional shuffling that involved Alexander Kerfoot, John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari.
“He is a great option for us,” Keefe said. “In the games he played he did a good job. He has taken care of all he could do in the short amount of time he has been here.”
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