Ryan O'Reilly is still dreaming after becoming a Toronto Maple Leafs player just a few days ago. He picked up the first road hat trick of his career and first three in the Blue and White.
BUFFALO — Ryan O'Reilly could feel the chemistry with his new linemates through his first two games as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We're close," he insisted. "Soon we're going to start to take off."
O'Reilly wasted no time delivering on that statement by scoring his first two goals with the club just 37 seconds apart. He picked up an empty-netter later on to pick up a hat trick in a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
Perhaps it was just a little sweeter that it came against his former team, for which he toiled with for three seasons?
“It definitely feels a little better than other buildings, for sure,” he admitted after the game. “Just being able to get that first one out of the way (as a Leaf), it’s a good feeling.”
O’Reilly opened the scoring in the game by placing himself perfectly in the slot for Mitch Marner's pass before rifling a shot past Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for 1-0 lead at 3:51 of the first period.
Just seconds after his first goal was announced over the public address system, O'Reilly buried another, this time showing off a nifty backhander.
The Maple Leafs acquired O'Reilly on Friday along with forward Noel Acciari in a trade with the St. Louis Blues as the team looks to make push for a deep run ahead of the 2023 NHL playoffs.
The acquisition of both centers saw Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe tinker with his lines and move captain John Tavares to the wing to skate along with O'Reilly and Mitch Marner.
It's clear Keefe found the right mix.
Tavares followed up O'Reilly's goals with one of his own that made it 3-0 Toronto in the first period.
Marner picked up the primary assist on all three of the goals. O'Reilly picked up the secondary assist. He set a new career-high with five assists.
It was the first in franchise history that three different players recorded three points in the first period of a game.
O'Reilly spent three seasons with the Sabres in his career and has played 120 games at KeyBank Center. This was his first multi-goal performance in the building.