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Michael Bunting suspended three games

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kb said:
IMO the last thing this team needs is someone like Bunting to fire up TB and get them playing over the edge.

Game 1 shows exactly why. He will be a marked man, and all the theatrics were ignited by his hit on Cernak.

Leafs don't need this - at all.
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Add him to the fourth line and let him be (and be known as) the punching bag. He shouldnt be fighting Bellemar, Perry, Maroon, but he can certainly engage and get under their skin
 
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Gallagbi said:
Add him to the fourth line and let him be (and be known as) the punching bag. He shouldnt be fighting Bellemar, Perry, Maroon, but he can certainly engage and get under their skin
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IMO, he can't go on the 4th line, as they are essentially taking every single D-zone draw.

If they put Bunting on that 4th line, then one of the other 3 lines has to become the D-zone line because Bunting is poor defensively and has always required heavy sheltering. Which becomes less than ideal and plays right into TB's hands.
 
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If Bunting does get back in I think my ideal lineup would be

Jancrok - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Marner
Bunting - O’Rielly - Acciari
Kerfoot - Kampf - Lafferty

ZAR hasn’t played bad, but the 4th line is getting caved in, in terms of GF% and xGF%
 
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kb said:
IMO, he can't go on the 4th line, as they are essentially taking every single D-zone draw.

If they put Bunting on that 4th line, then one of the other 3 lines has to become the D-zone line because Bunting is poor defensively and has always required heavy sheltering. Which becomes less than ideal and plays right into TB's hands.
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That is the concern, but ZAR only played 7:06 last night. So doesn't seem like the coach trusted him or the 4th line much anyway.

I'd say Bunting goes into the top 9, ZAR comes out and Kerfoot drops to the 4th line as a better defensive player. Who knows, maybe Kerfoot and Lafferty can cause some problems together on the 4th line for Tampa with their speed.
 
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VanW27 said:
That is the concern, but ZAR only played 7:06 last night. So doesn't seem like the coach trusted him or the 4th line much anyway.

I'd say Bunting goes into the top 9, ZAR comes out and Kerfoot drops to the 4th line as a better defensive player. Who knows, maybe Kerfoot and Lafferty can cause some problems together on the 4th line for Tampa with their speed.
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Makes sense, but IMO the reason ZAR and the 4th line didn't play as much is the Leafs were behind from the 10 minute mark of the 1st onwards. The Leafs were pushing for goals and that is the reason they didn't play as much....Keefe shortened the bench to try to get more scoring.
 
If we bring back Bunting it has to be on an extremely short leash. Play him bottom 6 and the minute he opens his mouth to one of the refs or returns to any of his antics you bench him for the game and rest of the series

Honestly I’d rather they not bring him back at all this series and give him a chance in round 2 (if we make it there)
 
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kb said:
IMO, he can't go on the 4th line, as they are essentially taking every single D-zone draw.

If they put Bunting on that 4th line, then one of the other 3 lines has to become the D-zone line because Bunting is poor defensively and has always required heavy sheltering. Which becomes less than ideal and plays right into TB's hands.
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That makes the decision simple…….he sits
 
fahad203 said:
Bunting has done nothing to deserve benefit of the doubt

ZAR and the 4th line has been our most consistent line. Absolutely no reason for them to change
Bunting will come in when there's an injury
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I hear what you’re saying, although not sure if injury would be the only reason. Maybe once this series is done (fingers crossed leafs win), he could draw back in round 2. I imagine a 3rd line like :
Bunting-O’Reily-Accari could be quite a problem for the Marchand- Pasternak line
 
glue said:
I hear what you’re saying, although not sure if injury would be the only reason. Maybe once this series is done (fingers crossed leafs win), he could draw back in round 2. I imagine a 3rd line like :
Bunting-O’Reily-Accari could be quite a problem for the Marchand- Pasternak line
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I've thought for awhile the Bunting might fit well with those two.

Plus Kerfoot has been effective with Kampf in the past so a ZAR-Kampf-Kerfoot line could be solid.
 
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LeafalCrusader said:
Lafferty should be the one to come out. Kerfoot goes down to playing with Kampf and ZAR.

Jarnkrok Matthews Nylander
Knies Tavares Marner
Bunting ROR Acciari
ZAR Kampf Kerfoot

Though I think I'd make him sit one more game. Either starts fresh in game one vs Boston or goes back in for game six.
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This is my lineup exactly
 
In game one, we had just scored to pull within one when he took the dumb penalty, and the rest of the game was a disaster.

Twice since then we have successfully come back from down multiple goals.

It's just too easy to see him costing us another comeback.

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Knies - ROR - Nylander
Kerfoot - Tavares - Acciari
ZAR - Kampf - Lafferty

Bunting in game six, but fourth line only.
 
Not My Tempo said:
If Bunting does get back in I think my ideal lineup would be

Jancrok - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Marner
Bunting - O’Rielly - Acciari
Kerfoot - Kampf - Lafferty

ZAR hasn’t played bad, but the 4th line is getting caved in, in terms of GF% and xGF%
Click to expand...

Tavares and Jarnkrok have struggled the last couple of games imo and they both have shown some chemistry together in the past. J.T works well with grinders that can get him the puck in the slot. Maybe getting these guys on their own line and out of the way of the others could take the top 9 to another level. Also J.T has a GA/60 of 6.9 so I’d put the faster Noel Acciari at center. A Tavares-Acciari-Jarnkrok line would be 70 goals on the 3rd line and provide a lot of balance that Tampa can’t match. Then you have O’Reilly-Marner as your top players to shut down the Kucherov line. And Matthews-Nylander as another scoring line. Kerfoot in for ZAR works for me.

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-O’Reilly-Marner
Tavares-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Kerfoot-Kampf-Lafferty

I also like

Jarnkrok-Matthews-Nylander
Bunting-Tavares-Marner
Knies-O’Reilly-Acciari
Kerfoot-Kampf-Lafferty
 
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Jarnkok - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Marner
Kerfoot - ROR - Acciari
ZAR - Kampf - Lafferty

Bring in Bunting for Game 6 or Round 2.
 
Love how the media is acting as if Bunting in or out makes one iota of a difference. :laugh:
 
So now everyone wants Bunting back in… because they realize they were wrong. So moronic to leave him out for a 4th liner.

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Knies-O’Reilly-Nylander
Tavares-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Kerfoot-Kampf-Lafferty
 
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It's really a galaxy brain move to scratch a player with a 1 in 4 chance of scoring (20 goals) and a 1 in 2 chance of drawing a penalty from the opposition (42 penalties drawn against by the opposition). Not to mention not once dressing one of the Leafs' most reliable defenders of the 2022-23 season (Liljegren).
 
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