Bunting gets the green light for Game 2, Spezza scratched for second consecutive game
Michael Bunting took to the ice this morning at the optional skate with his status for tonight still up in the air. Given the fact that he was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, it was likely he was going to play depending how he felt today.
After skating for about 20-30 minutes, he departed the ice which was our first indication he was likely to return. Minutes later Keefe confirmed that Bunting would be back into the lineup tonight along side Matthews and Marner.
With Clifford suspended, Bunting will draw in and Spezza will once again be a healthy scratch. Having Bunting back not only gives the 5-on-5 lines more depth, but it also adds someone with a little more skill to their second powerplay unit. Having Bunting back with Matthews and Marner means the rest of the Leafs lines will look something like this:
Bunting � Matthews � Marner
Mikheyev � Tavares � Kerfoot
Nylander � Kampf � Engvall
Kase � Blackwell � Simmonds
While Clifford may have more size and physicality than Kase, the Czech winger plays with a tenacity similar to that of Blackwell and those two along with Simmonds could cause issues for Tampa in their own end with their speed and board play.
It will be interesting to see who comes out of the lineup on Friday, once Clifford has served his suspension and is eligible to return.
