Bunting: 'Easy to wake up for this game' vs. Leafs

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Michael Bunting hopes his second trip back to Toronto is just as successful as the first one.

Bunting scored a goal in the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs in December when he played for the Canes.

"Coming back to (play) an old team and coming back home is always fun. It's easy to wake up for this game," the Scarborough, Ontario, native said Monday ahead of Pittsburgh's clash with Toronto. "Especially how big this game is for us. We're fighting for our lives here and we know it's a big one so I'll be ready to go."

Bunting was traded to Pittsburgh as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina. Bunting's production has increased since the trade: He's recorded five goals and eight assists in 16 games for the Penguins, including scoring a crucial game-winner on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning to keep Pittsburgh's playoff hopes alive.

The 28-year-old signed a three-year, $13.5-million contract with the Hurricanes as a free agent this offseason. But he's averaging a minute-and-a-half more per game since the swap, skating on Pittsburgh's second line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell and playing on the top power-play unit.

"I wouldn't say that Carolina wasn't a good fit. It was a lot of fun ... and I made some really good friends," Bunting said. "But I just came here and got the opportunity to play bigger minutes and I've gelled with my line really well. I just had confidence in my game and just wanted to prove that I still belong and am still an impactful player."

Bunting spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2021-23, recording 112 points in 161 games while finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist in 2022. He garnered a reputation as a pest during his time in Toronto, but Leafs forward William Nylander plans on giving Bunting a taste of his own medicine.

"I'll get under his skin," Nylander said playfully, per Postmedia's Lance Hornby.