Michael Bunting nears return as Maple Leafs get ready for Game 2

Winger Michael Bunting, the Scarborough kid who grew up loving the Maple Leafs, had never taken in a playoff game of his favourite team, live, in-person, as a fan.

But he had to on Monday, watching Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning from the sidelines at Scotiabank Arena due to an undisclosed injury.

“It was unreal,” Bunting said of the experience. “It got me going. I was standing up, I was cheering, and it was it was pretty exciting to see that. That was actually my first ever time watching the Leafs in a playoff game. It was really cool. The fans were unreal there.”

If all goes according to the tea leaves from Tuesday’s practice, that will be Bunting’s last time watching from the sidelines this year. Bunting looks like he’s ready for action, practising in full on Tuesday with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, needing only to get a final say-so before getting in to Wednesday’s Game 2.

If Game 1 is any indication — lots of agitation, plenty of scrums, lots of getting under each others skin — it’s a series made for Bunting-style hockey.

“A player like Bunting is made for playoffs and thrives on it,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “He plays a lot of regular season games like they’re playoff games and that’s part of what makes him successful. He’s playing with a higher level of intensity all the time.”

The Leafs never revealed what happened to Bunting to sideline him for the final three games of the season. He took a puck to the face on one play, and awkwardly in another in the game April 23 against Florida that he didn’t finish. Bunting wasn’t about to reveal the nature of the injury on Tuesday.

“I’ll keep that to myself,” said Bunting. “Our trainers have been unbelievable with me getting me back ready to play. I’m pretty happy with my recovery time. Being (injured) so close to playoffs was not ideal, being healthy all year, but it is what it is. Everything happens for a reason.”

The timing is impeccable because the Leafs will be without Kyle Clifford, who was suspended one game for a boarding call on Ross Colton.

“He’s got to toe the line,” Keefe said of Clifford. “You want to get on top of the opposition, you want to finish your checks, you want to make your mark physically. He just finished a good check and the building was erupting. And then all of a sudden there’s a second check there and it’s a split-second decision. And it wasn’t a good one for him. But he knows that. He paid for it.”

Figuring Clifford was going to miss Game 2, it necessitated lineup changes in practice beyond adding Bunting.

Ondrej Kaše moved into Clifford’s spot on the fourth line, Alex Kerfoot moved back onto the second line with John Tavares and Ilya Mikheyev after keeping Bunting’s spot on the line warm.

If for whatever reason Bunting can’t play, Jason Spezza would be the likely next man in.

In some ways, it’s a testament to the team’s depth at forward this season. Last year, the Leafs couldn’t make up for the loss of Tavares to a concussion against Montreal. In years previous, the suspensions of Nazem Kadri had been an issue.

But Keefe continues to have a lot of options, and a healthy lineup.

“Any time you add a forward, like Kaše, or Bunting, it makes our forwards deeper,” said Keefe.

Kaše got an assist in the series opener, his first game since suffering a concussion March 19 in Nashville.

“It’s amazing, I’m really excited I’m back,” said Kaše, adding he wasn’t sure he was going to play until “I was on the blue line for the national anthems. I was like, ‘Ok, I’m in.’

“It’s never easy to go back after an injury, especially into the first playoff game, but the crowd was unbelievable there. They helped me.”

Kaše looked like he didn’t miss a beat and certainly played that in-your-face brand of hockey that is his style, but also could well be the reason for the multiple head injuries he has suffered in his career.

“You cannot think about what could happen. So when I’m on the ice and try to do my best and like every shift,” said Kaše.

His performance thrilled Keefe.

“He did look like himself,” said Keefe. “He absolutely gave us everything he had on the forecheck, back-checking, in puck battles. We threw him right into the penalty kill and he was good there. So I was thrilled that he not only played the game and got through the game, but he did it confidently. And he didn’t change his game, didn’t alter his approach.”

Notes: Pierre Engvall missed practice, but Keefe said it was nothings serious. … Goalie Petr Mrázek practised in full for the first time since re-injuring his groin March 29 in Boston. “He’s getting there,” said Keefe. “We’ll make decisions along the way. But we’re happy with what (Erik) Källgren has provided us.”

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