Maple Leafs' Michael Bunting suspended 3 games for hit on Lightning's Erik Cernak

This seemed to be the year that the Toronto Maple Leafs would finally get past the first round because they had beefed up at the trade deadline and the Tampa Bay Lightning weren't great down the stretch.

Instead, Game 1 went to the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning in a rout.

In addition to losing 7-3, the Maple Leafs will be without forward Michael Bunting for the next three games. Bunting, who received a match penalty for a hit on Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak with 4:20 left in the second period of Game 1, was suspended three games by the NHL for delivering an illegal check to the head and interfering with Cernak, the league's Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday. Cernak had been penalized earlier in Tuesday's game for roughing Bunting.

Bunting's hit was reviewed and confirmed as a five-minute major.

RANGERS: New York in total control for Game 1 win vs. New Jersey

BRUINS: Tyler Bertuzzi has great assist, steals stick in win against Panthers

The hit was concerning to the Lightning because Cernak was the second defenseman to leave the game, following Victor Hedman, their No. 1 defenseman. They also lost forward Michael Eyssimont to a big hit.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday that Cernak and Eyssimont will miss Thursday's Game 2 and Hedman will a game-time decision.

Of the Bunting hit, Cooper said Tuesday, “I’ll give the company line of the league will look at that, but for me, it seems to check a whole bunch of boxes.”

The score was 4-2 Tampa Bay – Toronto gave up a goal 78 seconds in and trailed 3-0 at the first intermission – when Bunting was ejected. Corey Perry made it 5-2 when he scored on the power play. The Maple Leafs challenged the score for goalie interference, but lost the review, giving Tampa Bay a 5-on-3 advantage.

Tampa didn't score on the 5-on-3, but it still had a man advantage when Brayden Point scored his second goal of the game with two seconds left to give the Lightning a 6-2 lead heading into the third period.

Joseph Woll replaced Toronto starting goalie Ilya Samsonov at the start of the third period.

The Maple Leafs have reached the postseason the last six seasons, but they had lost each time in the first round or the 2020 qualifying round.

The Lightning knocked them out in seven games in 2022, rallying after losing 5-0 in Game 1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maple Leafs' Michael Bunting suspended for hit on Erik Cernak