NHL Atlantic

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head and interference against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday.

Bunting was assessed a match penalty during the second period of Tuesday's Game 1 loss to the Lightning after hitting Cernak in the head, causing the Tampa Bay defenseman to exit the matchup with an injury.

The NHL Department of Player Safety said in a video explaining the decision:

"As the puck wraps around the net, Bunting cuts back into Cernak, elevating significantly into the contact and picking his head, making it the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable.

"This is both an illegal check to the head and interference. It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is clearly the main point of contact. ... Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable.

"It is also important to note that this is also interference. Cernak is never in possession of the puck during this sequence and therefore should have no reason to expect to be checked, making him particularly vulnerable."

Michael Bunting has received a 5-minute match penalty for an illegal check to the head on Erik Cernak. pic.twitter.com/aY8TnNZgWl

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2023

"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," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters of the hit following Tuesday's game.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had a different take on the incident.

"Bunts, to me, is trying to set himself up to win a race for the puck," he said, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. "It got away on him. The guy wasn't expecting it. I am sure Bunts is expecting a battle in that situation, and he didn't get one."

Cernak has already been ruled out for Game 2 and it's unclear when he may return to the ice.

The 25-year-old has been a solid defender for the Bolts this season, tallying two goals and 14 assists in 70 regular-season games, in addition to posting a plus-eight and amassing 19:14 of time on ice per game.

Zach Bogosian or Haydn Fleury figure to slot into the lineup in Cernak's absence. Bogosian, a 15-year veteran with extensive postseason experience, is the more likely option.

The 32-year-old tallied one goal and four assists in 46 regular-season games with the Bolts. He also averaged 14:59 of time on ice per game.

Bunting, meanwhile, quickly emerged as one of the NHL's supervillains after amassing 103 penalty minutes in the regular season, the ninth-most in the league.

Despite logging the most penalty minutes of his career, Bunting had another solid statistical season for the Maple Leafs, notching 23 goals and 26 assists in 82 regular-season games. It's the second straight season he's scored 23 goals.

Bunting will be eligible to return to the Toronto lineup if the series reaches a Game 5, which would take place on April 27 at Scotiabank Arena.

Game 2 between the Leafs and Lightning is set for Thursday night.

Following a record-setting regular season in which they scored the most points of any team in NHL history, the Boston Bruins got their postseason off to a great start with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers at TD Garden in Boston.

As it did throughout most of the season, it was Boston's offense that pushed it over the top, helping the team overcome an impressive performance by Florida's Alex Lyon in net.

Lyon, who was making his playoff debut after having a huge impact for the Panthers over the final stretch of the year, had 26 saves but it wasn't enough.

It was a battle of the last two Presidents' Trophy winners and MVP contender David Pastrňák embraced the challenge as he continued his superb season by opening the scoring midway through the first period.

Pastrňák finished second in the league with 61 goals. He trailed only Edmonton's Connor McDavid. He was also tied for third with 113 points. Boston fans will be happy to see that his production is translating to the postseason.

Brad Marchand scored Boston's second goal and after Matthew Tkachuk cut into the 2-0 deficit, Jake Debrusk took advantage of Lyon not noticing the puck on his pads and pushed it in to restore the two-goal advantage that it'd never give up.

Perhaps the star of the night was Tyler Bertuzzi, who finished with two assists and was all over the ice. He was a headache for the Panthers all night long in his first taste of playoff hockey.

The Bruins are big favorites to win the series over Florida as they look to become the first team since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks to win the President's Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season.

Twitter heaped praise on Bertuzzi and the NHL's best squad for the dominant performance.

#NHLBRUINS WIN GAME 1!!! pic.twitter.com/PVDzCvSIMS

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 18, 2023

If this is the result with our entire roster sick and our captain missing, I’m scared to see what we can actually do. Ullmark rock solid, Bertuzzi the best player on the ice tonight, all around excellent win considering the conditions.

— Mike (@PastrnakGOAT) April 18, 2023

The feeeeed. 🍝 pic.twitter.com/zoEh433idx

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 18, 2023

The Bruins are 43-1-3 when scoring first. That is incredible.

— Jeff Johnson (@jeje66) April 17, 2023

https://twitter.com/iancmclaren/status/1648134477598556163

Bertuzzi with an amazing pass to set up Pastrnak’s PP goal.

— Nicholas W. Goss (@NickGossNBCSB) April 17, 2023

Said on the radio today that I had a feeling Tyler Bertuzzi would have a good run. Off to a good start here. Two helpers through two periods.

— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) April 18, 2023

In news that literally everyone saw coming, Tyler Bertuzzi with two points in his first two periods of NHL playoff hockey

— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) April 18, 2023

1-0 Bruins. Beautiful play by Bertuzzi to collect that rebound and throw a pass behind his back right to Pastrnak.

— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) April 17, 2023

What a feed by Bertuzzi!

— Brian Barrett (@itsbrianbarrett) April 17, 2023

Perhaps what's most impressive from Monday night's win is that the Bruins were able to do it without their captain Patrice Bergeron, who was out with an upper body injury that he suffered in the regular season finale.

It's scary to think of what a full strength squad will be able to do.

Game two of the series is set for Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Boston Bruins have made history.

The team broke the NHL's all-time single-season points record with Tuesday's 5-2 win vs. the Washington Capitals.

The Bruins now sit on 133 points for the season, surpassing the Montreal Canadiens from the 1976-77 campaign (132 points). Coming into Tuesday night the Bruins were tied with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings (131 points) in second place.

Passing the rival Canadiens for the record will be particularly sweet in Boston.

The Bruins had already set the all-time record for wins in a season with 63 on Sunday, topping the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (62). Tuesday night was win No. 64.

It wasn't much of a surprise that the Bruins set the record at home—they went a ridiculous 34-4-3 at the TD Garden this season.

Oh, and Boston still has one more game left in the regular season. That will come on the road against the Canadiens. Setting the record in Montreal would have been sweet, but heading to the Bell Centre to close the season with the record already locked away will definitely suffice.

It was a season full of impressive marks for these Bruins:

David Pastrnak (60-51—111) reached the 50-assist mark and became the second player in @NHLBruins history with 60 goals and 50 helpers in a single season, joining Phil Esposito (4x; last: 1974-75).#NHLStats: https://t.co/prGWPonxDu pic.twitter.com/7xxFZ9DXNn

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 12, 2023

Of course, it all will be fairly bittersweet if the Bruins don't top it off with a Stanley Cup title. Just ask the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, who set the single-season NBA record for wins, going 73-9, only to lose to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Or how about the 2007 New England Patriots, who became the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season, only to lose to Eli Manning's New York Giants in the Super Bowl? (The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to finish with a perfect record, going 14-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs).

And in baseball, two teams reached 116 regular-season wins: The 1906 Chicago Cubs (116-36) and the 2001 Seattle Mariners (1116-46). The Cubs lost in the World Series; the Mariners lost in the American League Championship Series.

So, no, history is not on the Bruins' side.

The 2022-23 Boston Bruins are the first team in NHL history to win 63 games in a regular season.

A hat trick from David Pastrňák lifted Boston to a historic 5-3 win over the host Flyers. The Bruins accomplished the feat with two games still remaining in the regular season.

Pastrňák is now the first Bruin since Hall of Famer Phil Esposito in 1975 to score 60 goals in a season.

The Bruins now have the potential set the win record even higher with games against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and the Montréal Canadiens on Thursday.

Quick strikes from the Flyers and Bruins in the first minute of Sunday's game kept the contest tied until the second period, when Pastrňák scored twice to give Boston a lead it would hold for the rest of the night.

In the final frame, Pastrňák finished off a two-on-one rush with a goal that would mark his third hat trick of the campaign, his 60th goal of the season and the game-deciding tally.

Pastrňák will now join the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid at the 60-goal mark. This is the first time since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr dominated the league in 1995-96 that two players have accomplished the feat in the same season.

HAT TRICK, NUMBER 60 ON THE SEASON, AND NUMBER 300 IN HIS CAREER.

3 servings of Pasta today 🍝🚨 https://t.co/arn1O6VCvN

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 10, 2023

A late push from the Flyers threatened to spoil the Bruins' historic night before Pavel Zacha wired a late insurance tally past Philadelphia goaltender Felix Sandstrom to ensure the win.

Even though the Bruins were in enemy territory, chants of "We want the Cup" echoed through Wells Fargo Arena as the clock ticked down to zero.

The Bruins, who sit atop the NHL standings with 131 points, now have another single-season record in sight. The 1976-77 Montréal Canadiens are the only other team in NHL history to earn more standings points in a single season. One more win, or even an overtime loss, and Boston will surpass them.

Boston has two more shots at this next record, and with Pastrňák continuing his season-long scoring tear—he has 11 goals in his last eight games—it will be hard to bet against the Bruins breaking it.

In a season full of milestones, the Boston Bruins just set another.

In a matinee matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Bruins emerged with a 4-3 win for their 59th victory of the season. It increased the team's point total to 123, breaking the franchise regular-season record for most points. The previous record was set in the 1970-71 season when the Bruins finished 57-14-7 and had 121 points.

HOW ABOUT THEM BRUINS 🐻 pic.twitter.com/uKvgDre49M

— NHL (@NHL) April 1, 2023

This is the second consecutive game in which the Bruins surpassed a record set by that 1970-71 team, as Thursday's overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets gave them a franchise-best 58th win.

The Bruins are within striking distance of some league records as well. The most points in an NHL season belong to the 1976-77 Montréal Canadiens, who had 132. The Bruins need nine of a possible 12 points in their final six games to tie that record, a mark the team is on pace to hit.

The league record for wins is 62, set by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and tied by the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins need to win four of their final six games to break that record.

The Boston Bruins have locked up home-ice advantage through the entirety of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, clinching the Presidents' Trophy with the best overall record following a 2-1 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

🐻 THE B'S ARE ON TOP 🐻

The @NHLBruins have clinched the 2022-23 Presidents' Trophy! pic.twitter.com/za24pNjDNK

— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2023

This is the second time since 2020 and third time since 2014 that Boston has won the Presidents' Trophy. The team also won it in 1990.

With the Bruins having locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the best overall record, let's take a look at the updated standings.

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Eastern Conference Standings

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Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 58-12-5, 121 points (clinched Presidents' Trophy)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 44-20-10, 98 points (clinched playoffs)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 44-26-6, 94 points

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Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 47-17-9, 103 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 47-20-8, 102 points (clinched playoffs)
3. New York Rangers: 44-21-10, 98 points (clinched playoffs)

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Eastern Conference Wild Card

1. New York Islanders: 39-28-9, 87 points 
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 36-28-10, 84 points

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Western Conference Standings

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Central Division

1. Minnesota Wild: 44-22-9, 97 points
2. Dallas Stars: 40-20-14, 94 points
3. Colorado Avalanche: 44-24-6, 94 points

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Pacific Division

1. Vegas Golden Knights: 46-22-6, 98 points (clinched playoffs)
2. Los Angeles Kings: 43-21-10, 96 points
3. Edmonton Oilers: 43-23-9, 95 points

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Western Conference Wild Card

1. Seattle Kraken: 40-25-8, 88 points
2. Winnipeg Jets: 41-31-3, 85 points

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The Bruins have been the best team in the NHL since the puck dropped on the 2022-23 season back in October.

Boston's initial success was somewhat surprising as many were expecting the team to struggle out of the gate because of injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand, among others.

However, the Black and Gold quickly changed that narrative with tremendous goaltending from Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, scoring up and down the lineup and stellar defensive play.

Ullmark is likely to be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender after posting a 37-6-1 record, 1.90 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. He and Swayman could also win the William M. Jennings Trophy as the best goaltending tandem in the league.

David Pastrnak, meanwhile, became Boston's first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely in 1994 with 53 goals in 75 games. He has also tallied 46 assists.

Beyond Pastrnak, the Bruins have 11 players with double-digits in goals, including Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk.

Additionally, three of Boston's defensemen—Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo—lead the NHL in plus-minus.

But while the Bruins have the Presidents' Trophy locked up, it's viewed as more of a curse than a blessing. The last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season was the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13.

Still, it's expected to be a long postseason for Boston, and the Bruins are going to do everything they can to keep their historic season rolling and bring the Stanley Cup back to the city for the first time since 2011.

The Stanley Cup playoff picture continued to crystallize Monday after the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs punched their ticket to the postseason.

The latter became the second team from the Atlantic Division to clinch its spot. The other is the Boston Bruins, who have been the best team in the league by far this season and have already clinched the division title.

The Rangers and Maple Leafs join the Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils in the playoffs.

Here are the updated standings for both conferences following Monday's results.

Eastern Conference 

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 57-11-5, 119 points (clinched division)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 44-20-9, 97 points (clinched playoffs)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-26-6, 90 points

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 47-16-9, 103 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 46-20-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
3. New York Rangers: 43-20-10, 96 points (clinched playoffs)

Wild-Card Race

1. New York Islanders: 38-28-9, 85 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 36-27-10, 82 points
3. Florida Panthers: 36-31-7, 79 points
4. Buffalo Sabres: 35-31-7, 77 points
5. Ottawa Senators: 36-33-5, 77 points
6. Washington Capitals: 34-32-8, 76 points
7. Detroit Red Wins: 31-32-9, 71 points
8. Philadephia Flyers: 28-32-12, 68 points
9. Montréal Canadiens: 30-38-6, 66 points
10. Columbus Blue Jackets: 23-42-7, 53 points

Western Conference 

Central Division

1. Minnesota Wild: 43-22-9, 95 points
2. Colorado Avalanche: 43-23-6, 92 points
3. Dallas Stars: 39-20-14, 92 points

Pacific Division

1. Vegas Golden Knights: 46-21-6, 98 points
2. Los Angeles Kings: 43-20-10, 96 points
3. Edmonton Oilers: 41-23-9, 91 points

Wild-Card Race

1. Seattle Kraken: 40-25-8, 88 points
2. Winnipeg Jets: 41-30-3, 85 points
3. Calgary Flames: 33-26-15, 81 points
4. Nashville Predators: 36-28-8, 80 points
5. Vancouver Canucks: 34-34-5, 73 points
6. St. Louis Blues: 33-34-6, 72 points
7. Arizona Coyotes: 27-34-13, 67 points
8. Anaheim Ducks: 23-40-10, 56 points
9. Chicago Blackhawks: 24-32-6, 54 points
10. San Jose Sharks: 19-39-15, 53 points

The Rangers booked a spot in the postseason without even having to play Monday night after the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres each lost their respective matches.

They return to the playoffs for a second-consecutive season and will look to improve upon an unexpected run to the conference finals in 2022, where they lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were the defending champions at the time.

Meanwhile, Toronto has been a postseason regular over the last few years but has continually disappointed.

The Maple Leafs have lost in the first round of the playoffs every single season dating back to 2017, including last year when the team managed to score 115 points, the most in a single season in franchise history.

They'll be looking to finally get over the hump this year.

The Boston Bruins already clinched a playoff spot earlier this season, but they locked up the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at TD Garden.

The Black and Gold also moved to 56-11-5 with the win and hold the NHL's best record, sitting 17 points above the second-place Carolina Hurricanes, which have posted a 46-16-8 record this season.

Presenting your Atlantic Division champions! pic.twitter.com/Su5c3KD7wZ

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 25, 2023

Boston is also on pace to set the NHL's all-time wins record with just 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Detroit Red Wings set the record in 1995-96 with 62 wins, and the Lightning tied the mark in 2018-19.

The Bruins are likely to end the regular season with the best record in the league. Doing so would clinch the team home-ice advantage throughout the postseason.

Let's take a look at the updated Eastern Conference standings following Boston's Atlantic Division-clinching victory.

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Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 56-11-5, 117 points (clinched division)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 43-19-9, 95 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-26-6, 90 points

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Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-16-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 45-19-8, 98 points
3. New York Rangers: 42-20-10, 94 points

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Wild Card

1. New York Islanders: 37-27-9, 83 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-27-10, 80 points

Full NHL standings available at NHL.com

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The Bruins are hoping to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2011 with players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejčí and Nick Foligno nearing retirement.

David Pastrňák, who agreed to an eight-year, $90 million extension with the Bruins this season, has led the team offensively with 49 goals and 46 assists for 95 points in 71 games. He's looking to become Boston's first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

The 26-year-old's 49 goals rank second in the NHL behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who has tallied 60 goals this year. His 95 points rank fifth in the league.

Pastrňák has benefitted greatly from playing on an all-Czech line alongside Krejčí and Pavel Zacha. Krejčí, who rejoined the Bruins this season after spending a year with HC Olomouc in the Czech Extraliga, has notched 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points in 66 games.

Bergeron and Brad Marchand have also been impressive this season. Bergeron, who will likely be up for the Selke Trophy, has tallied 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points in 72 games, and Marchand has notched 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points in 64 games.

On the defensive side, Hampus Lindholm should be in the Norris Trophy conversation with 10 goals and 39 assists for 49 points in 71 games. He leads the league with a plus-47 rating, and Bruins teammates Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo rank behind him in that category at plus-45 and plus-39, respectively.

Boston also has two of the best goaltenders in the league in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Ullmark will likely be up for the Vezina Trophy with a 36-5-1 record, 1.92 goals-against average and .937 save percentage, all of which lead the NHL.

The Bruins made some key reinforcements at the NHL's trade deadline, acquiring Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals, and Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. All have meshed well in Boston's system, making the team much stronger for a deep postseason run.

The Bruins are still waiting on the returns of Foligno, Taylor Hall and Derek Forbort, who are sidelined with injuries. If they return for the playoffs, the Black and Gold will be even stronger than they've been of late.

If the Bruins don't win the Stanley Cup this season it will be a massive disappointment, especially considering their dominance during the regular season. But as we all know, the postseason is a completely different beast.

Florida Panthers teammates and brothers Eric and Marc Staal did not participate in warm-ups ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at FLA Live Arena in protest of the team's annual Pride Night, which includes the option to wear rainbow Pride jerseys.

The Staal brothers cited their religious beliefs as the reason they did not participate in wearing the Pride jerseys, per Florida Hockey Now's George Richards.

"The Panthers said any player who did not choose to wear the jersey had that right but would not warm up before the game," Richards wrote.

Eric and Marc Staal said in a statement, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press:

"After many thoughts, prayers and discussions we have chosen not to wear a pride jersey tonight. We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey.

"Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a pride jersey it goes against our Christian beliefs. We hope you can respect this statement, we will not be speaking any further on this matter and would like to continue to focus on the game and helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup."

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of the team's decision to move forward with wearing the jerseys:

"As an organization, we have decided — and rightfully so — to move forward with it and support it and celebrate it.

"Teams around the league and players around the league, they've got the right to their opinion, and we've got the right to ours. But I've seen the sweaters. They're great looking, and it should be a great night tonight."

The Staal brothers join San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in choosing not to wear Pride jerseys during their team's annual Pride Night celebrations.

Both Reimer and Provorov cited their religious beliefs as the reason for not wearing the jerseys.

Pride jerseys have become a contentious topic around the NHL since Provorov opted against wearing one during Philadelphia's Pride Night in January.

Four NHL teams have pulled the plug entirely on wearing Pride jerseys this season—the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks and Wild reportedly cited concern for the safety of Russian players as the reasoning for having their teams not suit up in Pride jerseys.

A Russian law enacted in December expanded the country's ban on "gay propaganda," making it "illegal to promote or 'praise' LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are 'normal,'" according to CNN's Ivana Kottasova and Anna Chernova.

The Rangers scrapped plans to wear Pride jerseys for warm-ups on Jan. 27, citing "everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs." The Islanders also did not wear the jerseys for warm-ups on Feb. 9, citing an organizational policy.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman commented on the way teams have handled Pride Night celebrations during the NHL's All-Star Weekend in February (h/t Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press):

"You know what our goals, our values and our intentions are across the league, whether it's at the league level or at the club level. But we also have to respect some individual choice, and some people are more comfortable embracing themselves in causes than others. And part of being diverse and welcoming is understanding those differences."

A number of teams still have Pride Night celebrations on tap before the end of the regular season next month.