Maple Leafs’ Michael Bunting nets power-play hat trick in shutout win over Senators | CBC Sports

The 26-year-old forward is on his first one-way contract and where he fits with the Leafs in remains to be seen. At this point, he’s not overly concerned.

“I’ll be busting my [butt] no matter where I am,” said Bunting. “Whether it’s first line, second line, third line, fourth line. I’m bringing my game wherever it is.”

WATCH | Bunting leads Leafs past Sens:

Toronto native Michael Bunting scores hat trick in Leafs’ pre-season win over Senators

Watch all three of Michael Bunting’s power-play goals, as the Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Ottawa Senators 4-0 in NHL pre-season action. 2:50

For the Ottawa Senators, the best thing about Wednesday night’s game was that it won’t count in the standings.

Senators head coach D.J. Smith was the first to admit his team wasn’t very good.

“Thank God it’s an exhibition game,” said Smith. “We didn’t have the puck a lot, we didn’t shoot a lot, we just didn’t play anything the way we want to play.”

David Kampf also scored, while Josh Ho-Sang — invited to camp on a professional tryout — picked up two assists.

Petr Mrazek wasn’t overly busy and stopped all 19 shots he faced in the Toronto net.

WATCH | Moment of silence in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

Senators, Maple Leafs hold moment of silence ahead of Truth and Reconciliation Day

Before their pre-season game, the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs held a moment of silence on the eve ahead of Truth and Reconciliation Day, and Mary Nahwegahbow sang the national anthem in English, French and Anishinaabemowin. 4:07

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was impressed by his group’s tenacity.

“The one thing I was really surprised by in pre-season Game 3 is the energy of the team, the positivity,” said Keefe. “The competitive spirit of the group was really strong. Really impressed with the effort.”

Ottawa’s Filip Gustavsson, who played the first two periods, allowed three goals on 25 shots. Mads Sogaard allowed one goal on seven shots in relief.

The Leafs’ rather innocuous lineup gave the Senators a challenge right from the start. Ottawa — who had a number of veterans playing — seemed to lack any kind of intensity and was flat for much of the game.

“It’s good in the long run because you don’t want that to happen in the regular season,” said Smith. “That’s just not the way we play. We had no physicality, we never got on the inside, we didn’t shoot pucks.”

Bunting scored his third of the night in the final 90 seconds of the game.

“He’s as hungry as anyone to score,” said Keefe. “To get off to the start he has in the pre-season is a tremendous sign for him and us.”

Toronto was 3-for-8 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-5 with the man advantage as they struggled to create any momentum.

Smith admitted that maybe some of his veterans were guilty of looking at the Leafs lineup and underestimating their desire. Without its big stars, Toronto players were looking to make an impression and they did just that.

Jets take care of Oilers

Winnipeg Jets forward Jansen Harkins made a case for full-time employment with the NHL club on Wednesday night.

Harkins, who was in and out of the lineup last season, had two goals and an assist to lead Winnipeg to a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in a pre-season game at the Canada Life Centre.

Evgeny Svechnikov had a goal and two assists, while Austin Poganski and Kyle Connor rounded out the scoring for Winnipeg.

Brad Malone scored Edmonton’s lone goal.

WATCH | Harkin pots pair in Jets’ victory:

Jansen Harkins leads Jets to pre-season victory over Oilers

Winnipeg defeats Edmonton 5-1, forward Jansen Harkins scores twice and adds an assist. 0:59

In two periods, Edmonton netminder Ilya Konovalov made 17 saves on 21 shots before giving way to Stuart Skinner in the third. Skinner then made six saves.

Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck stopped 17-of-18 shots.

Harkins gave the Jets a 4-0 lead late in the second period with his second goal of the game.

He was sent in alone on Konovalov with a nifty pass from rookie forward Svechnikov, then lifted the puck over the Russian goalie. Defenceman Dylan DeMelo also assisted.

Poganski had upped the score to 3-0 at 7:09 when he raced in on Konovalov and his shot bounced off the goalie, eventually finding its way into the net behind him. Rookie forward Mikey Eyssimont and defenceman Ville Heinola assisted.

Svechnikov put the Jets up 2-0 when he deflected defenceman Logan Stanley’s shot from the point past Konovalov at the 2:22 mark. Harkins also assisted.

The Oilers finally got on the scoreboard with 1:13 left in the second period when Malone snapped a shot past Hellebuyck to make it 4-1. Forward Zack Kassian assisted.

Connor, who led the Jets in goals last season, then scored midway through the third period on a perfect setup from defenceman Josh Morrissey.

The Jets opened the scoring early in the first period. Just 1:31 into the game, Harkins pounced upon a loose puck in the crease after Konovalov made a sharp save on Svechnikov’s shot. Forward Cole Perfetti also assisted.