After suffering an injury in yesterday's practice, taking a puck to the face and leaving him bloodied, forward Michael Bunting gave Leafs fans a much-anticipated update on his status on Tuesday, ahead of the Leafs' clash with the Lightning.
Bunting left practice on Monday after being struck in the face and he did not return. As stated in the quote, Bunting made it evident that he would survive and by the sounds of it, he'll look to play in Tuesday's game.
Keefe mentioned yesterday that Bunting would be alright, as his charismatic personality was still shining despite the injury. In other words, his mouth never stopped moving. Bunting will play through the injury regardless of whether or not he'll need some additional protection in the form of a full visor, which was assumed due to the type of player he is; gritty and tenacious.
Bunting also spoke on tonight's matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning as the Leafs return home for a two-game homestand before the Christmas break. He emphasized that tonight will be a good test for a Leafs team that is looking to snap a two-game losing streak. It's never an easy game against the former back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, especially one on a five-game win streak where they have outscored their opponents 24-7.
It's always a close matchup between the two as they faced off against one another just 17 days ago, where the Lightning edged the Leafs 4-3 in overtime at Amalie arena. Tonight's game will be the first back at Scotiabank Arena since their matchup in the dreaded game seven on May 14th, where yet again, the Lightning got the best of the Leafs, winning 2-1.
