This, too, shall pass.
Those wise words from veteran Kevin Hayes helped Michael Bunting recover from the toughest start to a season he’s experienced in his NHL career, picking up just one point in his first 12 games and even spending one night as a healthy scratch.
“I've kind of just been rolling with that,” Bunting said with a grin. “And he laughs every time. But yeah, Hayes said that to me, and I actually turned it around right after that.”
The 29-year-old forward recently had a career-long (tied) three-game scoring streak end on Dec. 31, with four tallies in his last four games. Overall, Bunting has recorded 11 goals and 20 points over his last 26 outings.
“I didn't start how I planned, and I've never been through a slump like that. But, that's what happens in sports,” Bunting said. “You just got to kind of deal with it and believe in yourself, and I have belief in what I can do in this league. I've done it for a while now, so I just took a breath and reset myself.”
Bunting worked extra hard to get back to the strengths of his game by coming out early for individual sessions with assistant coach Ty Hennes and remaining on the ice after the official portion of practices wrapped up.
“You could see he was frustrated with things, and he was working hard, coming out early, staying out late in practices,” goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic said. “So, it's good to see him get rewarded.”
After being acquired by the Penguins at last season’s trade deadline, Bunting quickly found a role within the team and registered 19 points (6G-13A) in the 21 games he was able to suit up for. Head Coach Mike Sullivan and the rest of the coaching staff know the player Bunting can be when he’s at his highest level.
“In coaching him for the time that he's been here, we believe that he's at his best when he plays a little bit of an abrasive game,” Sullivan said. “He gets in on the forecheck. He's physical on defensemen. He's a dog on a bone with the puck, and he goes to the net in particular. He reminds me a lot of Patric Hornqvist in that regard. Horny was that type of guy, too. For whatever reason, our opponents couldn't stand him. And I think Bunts has similar attributes in that regard.”
After finishing 31st in the NHL last season, the Penguins now have the league’s fourth-best power play, clicking at 26.1%. A large part of that is due to what Bunting provides, as he leads the team with seven power-play goals.
“He's a dog on a bone with the puck, and he goes to the net in particular. He's in and around the blue paint. He scores a lot of goals a foot-and-a-half, two feet from the blue paint,” Sullivan said. “There's a lot of goals to be had in today's game in that area of the rink. Not a lot of guys are willing to go there, and he's willing to go there. When he goes there, I think he's very, very effective.”
On Dec. 19, Bunting played in his 300th game in the NHL against the Nashville Predators. Over a week later, Bunting added another milestone by recording his 200th career NHL point with a goal against the New York Islanders.
“It's funny, I was saying to my buddies that I think I’m 30 games, 40 games away from beating my AHL games played,” Bunting said. “There's been ups and downs, but I feel like I have believed in myself the whole way, and I wouldn't trade that for the world, my time in the American League. I had a lot of fun there, and it made me the player I am.”
Drafted by Arizona in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft, Bunting primarily played with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL from 2016-2021. After finishing the 2020-21 campaign strong with 10 goals in 21 games with the Coyotes, Bunting signed as a free agent in Toronto and had a breakout year in 2021-22. Bunting finished as a finalist for the Calder Trophy with 63 points (23G-40A) in 79 games.
“He brings great energy day in and day out,” said Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas. “He's a real competitor, and he's probably had a tougher road than anybody in our locker room to get to this point. He didn't play AAA hockey until he was 17 years old, so he's had to grind his way all the way up. He's an underdog type.”
Dubas and Bunting’s relationship goes back to the OHL. Dubas was the General Manager for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds while Bunting played there; signed him while in management for the Maple Leafs; and then brought the forward to Pittsburgh.
Bunting thrived on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in Toronto, and has found success on the ice with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at both 5-on-5 and 5-on-4. Bunting scored the goal that put the Penguins captain in front of Mario Lemieux for the most assists in Penguins history.
Bunting will be looking to stay hot heading into the new year and to continue helping his team win games.
“I’ve just been sticking to my game,” Bunting said. “What makes me successful in this league, going to the net, going to those greasy areas, I’ve got to stick to that. I want to obviously continue that and have confidence going forward because I know what I’m capable of."
