Leafs winger Michael Bunting snapped a 17-game goal scoring drought on Thursday against the Washington Capitals that the 26-year-old admitted was beginning to weigh on him. While Bunting does a lot of good things on the ice even while he isn't scoring, the Scarborough native wants to do everything in his power to remain on the Leafs' top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Putting two in the back of the net on Thursday certainly gets the monkey off of Bunting's back and should go a long way in building up his confidence.
Following the 7-3 drubbing of the Caps, Bunting spoke with the media about his big night, though I'm certain that if he watches it back, he'll wish he had chosen his words a little more carefully. When asked about how it feels to get back in the goals column, Bunting just said the first thing that came to mind. Unfortunately, it was something that would be very easy for someone to take out of context.
Of course, social media got ahold of the comment and did what social media does. While Bunting's comment was more about being hard on yourself rather than self-harming, a lot of people on Twitter didn't seem to take it that way.
In front of the Toronto media was probably the wrong place to say something like that, Bunts. Anyone who watched the clip knows what the intended context was, but the whole intent vs the impact thing comes into play here. Suicide is a very serious subject, especially following a global pandemic that saw people's mental health take a real hit.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, it's important to know that help is available and that you or your loved one are not alone. The suicide prevention hotline is available 24/7 to anyone in Canada at 1-833-456-4566.
