OTTAWA — Michael Bunting returned from suspension with the Maple Leafs; however, he did not start in the starting lineup.
In Game 1 of the Leafs-Lightning Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, Bunting, who was suspended for three games for elbowing and interfering with Tampa defender Erik Cernak, skated as an extra during his first practice in a week on Wednesday.
Keefe hasn’t shied away from moving players around throughout the series. He did that throughout Game 4, when Toronto trailed 4-1 in the third period before mounting a furious comeback to down the Lightning 5-4 in overtime.
Seeing his team rally was another reason Keefe didn’t want to change personnel.
“What I do like about the top-to-bottom six [we have] is part of the decision to not insert Bunting in, [so we’re] maintaining that,” Keefe said. “We’re trying to establish something where we are comfortable playing all four lines. That was our intention going into the series. We thought we were in a good spot that way and had to adjust along the way, which is what we had to do [in Game 4]. The players responded well. We can always make other adjustments if needed, but we like the group [this] way.”
Before he returns, Bunting, 27, will have to wait for that to alter. Previously, he played a large portion of the regular season on Toronto’s top line, scoring 49 points and 23 goals in 82 games. He sent an elbow high on Cernak halfway through the second period of Game 1, which resulted in a game penalty and, ultimately, his first-ever ban. After their collision, Cernak walked off the rink and hasn’t put on any clothes.
In his first public comments, Bunting said he “never intended to hurt anyone out there” and that he texted Cernak after Game 1 to check in and wish him a speedy recovery. Bunting’s focus was on moving forward and working his way back into an important role.
“Listen, I want to play, I want to be in the lineup,” Bunting said. “And that’s what I intend on doing in the future here. I want to be impactful; I want to play my game and do things that helped our team make the playoffs. There’s a little adversity for me here, but you know what, I’ve gone through adversity my whole life and I made it here. So this is another day.”
