Maple Leafs make right call in benching Michael Bunting for Game 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs don't have a player with a bigger variance between their ceiling and their floor than Michael Bunting.

At his best, Bunting is a voracious forechecker, useful agitator, and productive scorer. At his worst, he's a liability.

That's what he was in Game 1 of the team's series with the Tampa Bay Lightning when his senseless, dangerous hit on Erik Cernak earned him a five-minute penalty — plus a well-earned three-game suspension — that helped the Bolts put the game out of reach.

Now Bunting is eligible to return, but the team will be sidelining the bombastic winger for now, per head coach Sheldon Keefe.

There are a few reasons keeping Bunting off the ice make sense. The first is a simple "if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it" argument. The Maple Leafs have won three consecutive games without the winger, and there's nothing wrong with sticking with a lineup that's generating solid results.

Bunting is also difficult to trust right now. His reckless hit on Cernak is indicative of his inability to harness his aggression and the Lightning have a game-breaking power-play unit that's converting on 29.4 percent of its opportunities in this series.

The 27-year-old's production has also waned in recent months.

In his final 24 games of the regular season he scored four goals and produced five assists. He also drew just 10 penalties after earning 31 calls in the first 58 games of the season. There's evidence to suggest referees have been less and less inclined to award him penalties lately — and more likely to call him for embellishment.

When he isn't scoring or getting calls, it's hard to justify putting him on the first line. Playing him further down the lineup might encourage him to up his physicality, which can be a dangerous proposition.

Toronto may also be aware of the possibility of Tampa Bay looking for retribution against Bunting for his hit on Cernak. If the team is able to close out the Lightning in Game 5 and give him a clean slate in Round 2, that could be beneficial.

When Bunting is at his best he's the sort of player at no risk of spending time in the press box. He isn't at his best right now, though, and the Maple Leafs need to avoid his worst tendencies more than they require whatever boost he's capable of providing.

With rookie Matthew Knies contributing at a high level, the Maple Leafs have a viable alternative to Bunting on their top six. As strange as it seems, the guy with six pro games under his belt is a safer bet than a player who's produced 112 points over the last two seasons.

Bunting's part in the Maple Leafs' story hasn't come to an end just yet. He's clearly one of the best 12 forwards on this team, and he'll draw back in sooner or later.

There's a difference between being one of Toronto's best players and being one of the guys the Maple Leafs need this second, though. On Thursday, this team is likely to be better off with the players who've given them a 3-1 series lead.