Penguins forward Michael Bunting steadily improving after season-opening slump

Michael Bunting didn’t score the winning goal during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-3 victory against the hated Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at PPG Paints Arena.

Officially, that designation went to forward Philip Tomasino, who scored the hosts’ fourth goal during a power-play sequence late in the first period.

But the goal that kept the Penguins from losing? That went to Bunting, a rambunctious forward.

For most of the second period, the Penguins were flat as the underwhelming but determined Flyers made a valiant push in hopes of tying the contest and came pretty close, pulling within a goal to make it 4-3.

Then, at 18 minutes, 48 seconds of the third period, Bunting snuffed out any ambitions the Flyers had of staging a comeback.

From his own blue line, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson snapped a quick pass up ice that allowed Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin to gain the offensive zone on the right wing. Drawing in Flyers defenseman Cam York, Malkin dished a clever backhand pass to Bunting in the high slot. Blessed with ample ice and time to operate with, Bunting wound up and chopped a slapper from above the upper-left hashmark, toasting goaltender Samuel Ersson’s blocker on the near side.

“Anytime you’re up 4-1 after the first, you know they’re going to push back,” Bunting said. “And obviously, we would like to be a little bit better on getting in front of that. But they pushed back. They’re a good team. They’re very skilled, and I was fortunate enough to be able to get one there before the period ended and shift the momentum back to us.”

Bunting has shifted things considerably in his favor in recent weeks. After a rotten start to the season that saw him have more healthy scratches (one) than goals (none) in the first 12 games of the team’s season, Bunting has steadily produced at a greater clip since early November.

In his last 23 games, he has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists).

Monday’s victory saw him score two goals in total.

“It was just trying to reset from the start of the season,” Bunting said. “I didn’t start how I planned, and I’ve never been through a slump like that. But that’s what happens in sports. 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 kind of wanted that and just took a breath and reset myself. So, I feel like I’m rolling right now and I want to keep that going.”

Bunting credits teammate Kevin Hayes — a veteran All-Star forward who has been a healthy scratch for the past six games and is no stranger to adversity — as imparting the necessary wisdom on how to get past a dry spell.

“He said this to me, ‘This, too, shall pass,’” Bunting recalled. “And I’ve kind of just been rolling with that. And he laughs every time. But yeah, (Hayes) said that to me and I actually turned it around right after that. So he’s taking credit for it.

“It’s just taking a step back and believing in myself, and that’s what I’ve kind of been doing and hopefully, I can continue this and help this team continue to win.”

As he battled through his season-opening slump and even when he began to produce, Bunting found himself demoted to the third and fourth lines throughout November and December. At the moment, he is stationed on the second line next to Malkin (as well as on the top power-play unit).

How difficult is it to find the necessary chemistry to skate with a player like Malkin and produce an impressive goal such as the one the two hooked up on during Monday’s win?

“(Malkin), obviously he’s an elite player and you got to know that he’s got the puck on his stick,” Bunting said. “He can make a play like that anytime. So, you got to be ready for it, and you kind of read off it. I’ve been playing with players like that kind of my whole career, and just kind of complement them and kind of know where to go and get in those soft areas.

“He made a great play to me, and I was able to put it in.”

No such thing happened throughout October for Bunting, who was scratched during a 6-3 road loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 20.

“He responded the right way,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Players have a choice to make when those circumstances present themselves. (Bunting) chose to dig in. Him and I have had a number of honest conversations about his situation on the team. We just didn’t’ feel like we were getting the best version of him. We felt he was capable of more. Performance matters. There is a level of accountability associated with it.

“(Bunting) is a great pro. He’s handled it extremely well. Since he’s been back in the lineup, he’s been a consistent producer for us.”

Notes: Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson resumed practicing in a non-contact fashion Friday in Cranberry. Currently designated to injured reserve, he has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury Dec. 14. … Rookie defenseman Owen Pickering did not practice as he continues to recover from a concussion. He is also designated to injured reserve. … Reserve defenseman Nate Clurman was formally recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League after being assigned to the minor-league affiliate on Tuesday in a paper transaction for the benefit of roster management.