Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head/interference against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. The discipline was announced on Wednesday following a hearing for Bunting with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety earlier in the day.
Bunting will sit out Games 2, 3 and 4 of Toronto’s first-round NHL playoff series against the Lightning. He’s eligible to return for Game 5 — if necessary — next Thursday. The Leafs trail Tampa Bay in the series, 1-0, after losing 7-3 in Tuesday’s Game 1.
The incident between Bunting and Cernak occurred late in the second period on Tuesday when Bunting sent an elbow high on Cernak that collided with his head. Cernak was down on the ice for several minutes being attended to by trainers before they helped him back to the Lightning dressing room. Bunting was assessed a match penalty for the play and left the game.
“First, the head is clearly the main point of contact,” the DoPS said in a video breaking down its decision, “And it is the head that absorbs nearly all of the contact on this play. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. Bunting unnecessarily extends his body upward into Cernak’s head to deliver this check. It is also important to note this is also interference. Cernak is never in possession of the puck in this sequence and therefore should have no reason to expect to be checked.”
Cernak did not return to Game 1 and has been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 2 as well. The veteran defenseman plays a key role on Tampa Bay’s blueline, clocking 19:14 time on ice per game in the regular season, and on its penalty kill.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after Game 1 he trusted the NHL to make the right call on a punishment for Bunting.
“I will give you the company line: The league will look at that. To me, it seems to check a whole bunch of boxes [to warrant supplemental discipline].”
Bunting led the Leafs in regular season penalty minutes (103) and had vowed to conduct himself more carefully come playoffs to avoid putting Toronto at a disadvantage. Now the Leafs will have to adjust without a top-six winger for a sizable portion of their postseason series.
At Wednesday’s practice — which Bunting attended — Toronto’s coach Sheldon Keefe slotted Calle Jarnkrok into Bunting’s former spot with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
On Tampa Bay’s side, defenseman Victor Hedman — who left Game 1 after the first period with an undisclosed issue — is possible to return for Game 2. Tanner Jeannot (right leg) also participated in the team’s Wednesday practice and could be back on Thursday following a three-game absence.