Michael Bunting fined by the NHL, receives second citation

This is the second time Bunting has been cited for embellishment this season. The first offence carried a warning and now that he's a repeat offender, the fines go up from here.

Watching the play, it looks more like a missed interference call than anything. The Pittsburgh defender definitely made an effort to hold up Bunting, who was in pursuit of the puck. Nobody has ever accused the Department of Player Safety of being consistent or fair, so it's not a shock that we see yet another confusing ruling coming down from George Parros.

What is very confusing is the timing. That game was played a week ago. Why would the NHL wait this long to announce the fine? The 5-second clip posted alongside the announcement offers no explanation beyond what the release said. It's extremely odd that a fine would come now and not within a day or two of the incident.

Bunting, who has led the league at times this season in the penalties drawn category, will play tonight alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when the Leafs take on the Minnesota Wild. He currently leads all rookies in goals with 17 goals.